- 116 to prevent outflow of newly minted PhDs, 56 returning talent from overseas, 103 recruited foreign researchers—400 postdocs appointed in total

- Career development support through joint appointments, secondments, industry–academia research, entrepreneurship, and independent research opportunities, fostering future leaders of national innovation

The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT, Minister Bae Kyunghoon) and four science and technology institutes* announced the appointment of 400 postdoctoral researchers under eight “InnoCORE” research groups**, which aim to cultivate top-tier talent in AI convergence by bringing together outstanding researchers from Korea and abroad.

* KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), GIST (Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology), DGIST (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology), UNIST (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology)

** InnoCORE: An initiative to cultivate “CORE” research talent to lead innovation in AI convergence.

◇ Appointment Results

The InnoCORE program supports interdisciplinary, group-based research between leading Korean scientists and postdoctoral fellows in AI+S&T convergence. In response to intensifying global competition for scientific and technological talent, the program has focused on three key areas:

① Preventing the outflow of newly graduated PhDs: 116 postdocs who earned doctorates in Korea were appointed, addressing a major channel of brain drain in which new PhDs often move abroad for postdoctoral training.

② Reshoring Korean talent from overseas: 56 researchers—including those who had been conducting postdoctoral or doctoral studies at institutions such as MIT, Stanford, Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, Carnegie Mellon, UC Berkeley, and Meta—have returned to Korea.

③ Attracting outstanding foreign researchers: 103 foreign nationals were recruited to help counter Korea’s demographic decline, strengthen international research networks, and foster a diverse and creative research environment.

◇ Career Development Plans

Recognizing that postdoctoral training is a bridge stage toward long-term careers in academia, industry, or research, the program will provide personalized career development support to help fellows secure stable positions in Korean companies, government-funded research institutes, and universities.

Cross-appointments and research placements: 

To help InnoCORE fellows gain hands-on experience in real-world settings and build professional networks that may lead to future employment, the program supports personnel exchanges, joint research, and mentorship across universities, public research institutes, and industry.

Each fellow will be jointly supervised through a multi-mentoring system involving faculty members and external researchers, with expanded opportunities for joint appointments and secondments to partner organizations.

Joint research projects will emphasize industry-driven technology verification and commercialization, in collaboration with leading companies such as Naver, LG AI Research, Samsung Electronics, Upstage AI, Rebellions, FuriosaAI, and POSCO.

Entrepreneurship support: 

Postdocs interested in launching startups will be encouraged to join high-potential commercialization projects and will receive comprehensive, end-to-end support—including investment linkages, incubation space, startup education, and technical and management consulting—to turn excellent research outcomes into successful technology ventures.

Program enhancement through field feedback: 

Drawing on input from researchers and group leaders, the program will continuously improve its career development framework and operational systems. A council of research group leaders will share best practices, identify challenges, and refine implementation processes, while a structured performance management system will be established to ensure measurable outcomes.

From 2026, the program will expand beyond AI convergence to encompass all national strategic technology fields. Collaboration with government-funded research institutes and universities will be further strengthened through linkages with large-scale R&D initiatives and expanded cross-appointments. Global recruitment will also be broadened beyond the U.S. to Europe, Singapore, Japan, and other regions.

First Vice Minister Koo Hyuk-chae stated:

“By appointing 400 top-tier postdoctoral researchers—including 159 international and returning scholars—we are not only countering the outflow of AI talent but also strengthening Korea’s position in the global competition for scientific excellence. The government will provide comprehensive, end-to-end support to help young researchers grow into pioneers driving national progress.”

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division (Phone: +82-44-202-4034, E-mail: msitmedia@korea.kr) of the Ministry of Science and ICT. 

Please refer to the attached PDF.