Korea faces a scarcity of not less than 580,000 proficient professionals in superior expertise fields comparable to synthetic intelligence (AI) over the subsequent 5 years, in line with an evaluation launched by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Trade on Dec. 11.
Consultants level out that pressing government-level measures are wanted as top-tier science and engineering expertise are selecting to enter medical colleges as an alternative of analysis laboratories.
The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Trade introduced this discovering on Dec. 11 by the publication of a report titled “Science and Engineering Workforce Scarcity Standing and Enchancment Measures,” based mostly on analysis commissioned to Kim In-ja, analysis fellow on the Korea Institute of Science and Know-how Analysis and Planning (KISTEP).
In response to the report, Korea is projected to face a scarcity of roughly 580,000 professionals in new expertise fields by 2029. Particularly, the evaluation confirmed shortages of roughly 292,000 mid-level professionals liable for sensible work in AI and cloud computing fields, and roughly 287,000 superior professionals to guide expertise growth.
The report expressed concern that such workforce shortages would weaken the expansion momentum of AI-based firms past easy supply-demand imbalances. Notably contemplating that international huge tech firms comparable to Microsoft (MS) and Google are anticipated to take a position roughly $520 billion in AI subsequent yr, with funding rising exponentially, the precise workforce scarcity skilled within the area is prone to far exceed the estimated 580,000.
The issue lies in the truth that the avoidance of science and engineering fields mixed with the “medical college focus” phenomenon is shaking the muse of workforce provide. In response to the report, 76.9% of the highest 1% pure science college students within the 2025 educational yr entered medical colleges, whereas solely 10.3% enrolled basically departments. The departure of scholars already enrolled in universities can also be accelerating. Even at KAIST, 182 college students dropped out over the previous three years (2021-2023) to pursue medical and dental college admission. Korea’s mind drain index printed by the Worldwide Institute for Administration Growth (IMD) in Switzerland additionally plummeted from twenty eighth place in 2020 to forty eighth place in 2025, revealing the severity of expertise outflow.
The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Trade recognized low compensation ranges, unstable jobs, and job satisfaction gaps as causes. The typical annual wage acquired by home science and engineering professionals 10 years after acquiring their doctorate levels is 97.4 million gained, which is one-third the extent of the common annual wage of home medical doctors with related expertise (300 million gained) and solely one-fourth in comparison with abroad science and engineering professionals (390 million gained). Job satisfaction was additionally decrease for AI and robotics employees at a median of 71.3% in comparison with medical doctors (79.9%), and the hole in job stability was vital, with 30% of latest science and engineering doctorate holders unemployed and 21.3% in momentary positions.
The report proposed three main coverage instructions to beat the disaster: transition to performance-based compensation programs, growth of AI-centered profession ladders, and enhancement of social standing for science and expertise professionals.
Lee Jong-myeong, head of the Industrial Innovation Division on the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Trade, said, “The cruel actuality is that with out betting all the pieces on the AI trade, there is no such thing as a future for Korean manufacturing,” including, “It’s most pressing to innovate the motivation construction in order that home and worldwide expertise can collect in new expertise fields.”
