– Saying that innovation in science and technology is the key to Korea’s survival and necessary condition for realizing the $30,000 target in GNI. 

On August 12, 2005, Gyeonggi Governor Sohn Hak-kyu spoke as a guest speaker at the 
UKC (USA-Korea Conference / President: Kim Gwang-hoe), one of the largest annual academic meetings of Korean-American scientists, held at University of California, Irvine. 

Mr. Sohn Hak-kyu stressed that the nation must occupy the “huge blue ocean” of IT/NT/BT ahead of other competing countries, keeping in mind that the time-old catch-up strategy of copying advanced nation’s technologies cannot be an efficient one in the era of endless competitions in high-end science and technologies. 

The Gyeonggi Governor said that there was a need to push ahead with globalization and the further opening up of industries, intensive investment in R&D in high-end technologies, and training talented scientists through positive attraction of world-class multinationals, formation of globalized clusters, and securing international competitiveness in core technologies in parts and relevant materials. 

He added that the spirit of practical science that emphasized the importance of realism against the idealistic Confucian ideas in the Joseon Dynasty is what we need in this era of globalization and that it is time that we should apply all possible efforts to build the nation’s international competitiveness. 

He also pointed to the fact that his provincial office has succeeded in attracting big-name high-end technology businesses, such as Hoya (that became the first business to produce the 7th-generation photo masks, 3M (that holds first-rate high luminescence technology), and ULVAC (that holds first-rate vacuum technology) out of a desire to have them exert ripple effect over domestic businesses. 

The governor also said that in an effort to develop leading source technologies on our own the provincial office plans to invest a total of 1.7 trillion won in establishment of infrastructure of the Gwanggyo Hi-Tech R&D Complex in Seoul and the Pangyo IT/Business Zone in Seongnam, which envisions the future as the IT/NT/BT hub, in addition to the efforts poured into establishment of the Paju-Suwon-Pyeongtaek-Asan TFT-LCD cluster and the Ansan-Hwaseong-Yongin auto parts cluster. 

As well, Mr. Sohn Hak-kyu pointed out that there must be drastic policy measures taken to overcome the situation in which youngsters are not willing to be engaged in engineering/science job. He said that his provincial office plans to invite Korean scientists in the U.S. to R&D centers in the Gwanggyo Techno Valley and the Pangyo IT/Business Zone so that they can cooperate with their domestic counterparts to help the nation build knowledge and knowhow in relevant fields. 

Saying, “There are no national boundaries in science, but scientists have their homelands,” the governor expressed his wish that relevant infrastructure of the province may be utilized as arenas of passion and inspiration through positive participation of leading Korean scientists in the U.S. 

The 2005 US-Korea Conference on Science, Technology and Entrepreneurship, which was held for three days from August 11, was also attended by Special Presidential Advisor on Science and Technology Park Ki-young, Professors Hwang Woo-seok and Cho Jang-hee. 

Mr. Sohn Hak-kyu’s special lecture made this time is expected to serve as another occasion for invigoration of cooperation with Korean scientists in the U.S. in connection with the ongoing efforts made by the provincial office for fostering science and technology and attracting hi-tech businesses.