S. Korea unveils record R&D budget; Lee calls technology key to future

President Lee Jae Myung has called science and technology the key to the future of the nation, as the government today unveiled a greater R&D investment plan for next year.

He presided over the first Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology on Friday.

"Historically, a country that respected and developed science and technology flourished, and a country that despised science and technology collapsed. How much investment and interest you have in the field of science and technology seems to determine the future of a country."

A record 35-point-3 trillion won, or over 25-billion U.S. dollars, has been allocated for research and development, with investment for AI, in particular, doubled from the previous year.

The president added he hopes this will serve as a touchstone for a new stage of development.