KOREAN NET

Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo (right) on Dec. 20 speaks at a meeting of the National High-Tech Strategic Industry Committee at Government Complex-Seoul in the capital's Jongno-gu District. (Prime Minister’s Office)

By Kim Seon Ah

Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Dec. 20 said policy financing for the nation's four major advanced industries next year will go up 40% from this year's amount to KRW 25.5 trillion.

At the seventh meeting of the National High-Tech Strategic Industry Committee at Government Complex-Seoul in the capital's Jongno-gu District, he said, "Going forward, the government will keep using all of its means such as finance, taxation, funding and infrastructure to secure the competitiveness of high-tech industries."

"Along with efforts to improve the soundness of domestic industries to secure global competitiveness, we must urgently make full preparations to turn external uncertainty into opportunity."

"The government will continue backing high-tech strategic industries for our future unwaveringly under any circumstances."

"The government pledges all of its efforts to ensure the successful development of 12 advanced industrial complexes including that for semiconductors in Yongin and Pyeongtaek (Gyeonggi-do Province)," he said. "We will support large-scale research and development (R&D) to ensure timely completion of infrastructure such as power and water supply and maximize the strength of each complex."

"We will also aggressively resolve difficulties of companies that move into special complexes by forming a related task force," he added. "In particular, we will devise support measures such as expanding contract development and manufacturing organization for public medicine for the five biotech-specialized complexes newly designated in June."

The acting president also announced plans to designate know-how in humanoid robots and cutting-edge aircraft engines as national high-tech strategic technologies.

He said, "For the newly designated high-tech sectors of robotics and the defense industry, we will create a brisk industrial ecosystem by designating specialized complexes, launching specialized universities and graduate schools, and providing R&D support."

"We will actively cooperate with the National Assembly to set up additional support measures like enacting a special act on semiconductors."

sofiakim218@korea.kr