In a year marked by global uncertainty and shifting energy dynamics, South Korea has emerged as a focal point for both record-breaking research and development (R&D) investment and as a linchpin in new trilateral energy security initiatives with the United States and Japan. These twin developments, unveiled in late December 2025, highlight the country’s growing role at the intersection of technological innovation and international energy cooperation.
According to the Korea Economic Institute of America, since the 2023 Camp David summit, the partnership between the United States, South Korea, and Japan has moved well beyond traditional military ties. Now, economic and technological collaboration—especially in the domain of natural gas—has taken center stage. This strategic realignment comes as global electricity demand surges, driven in part by the energy-hungry artificial intelligence sector and other advanced industries.
Natural gas, often described as a bridge fuel in the global energy transition, is central to these efforts. The United States, riding the wave of its shale revolution, now stands as the world’s top exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG). On the other side of the Pacific, South Korea and Japan are among the globe’s largest LNG importers. In 2024, South Korea brought in 47.7 million tons of LNG—accounting for 11.4 percent of global demand—while Japan imported an even larger 67.7 million tons, representing 16.5 percent of the world’s total.
This heavy reliance on imported energy leaves both Asian nations exposed to geopolitical risks, particularly those tied to vulnerable shipping routes in the Red Sea and the South China Sea, as well as ongoing dependence on Middle Eastern oil. Recognizing these vulnerabilities, the trilateral partners have identified three main avenues for deeper cooperation: the Alaska LNG project, joint development of natural gas resources in the South Korea-Japan continental shelf, and expanded long-term LNG procurement contracts and joint investment in U.S. export terminals.
The Alaska LNG project, in particular, has become a flagship example of this new era of energy collaboration. In September 2025, Japan’s JERA signed a Letter of Intent for one million tons per annum of LNG, while South Korea’s POSCO International entered a strategic partnership related to the same project. Still, both countries are treading carefully, weighing the long-term implications of these deals. The hope is that collaborative development in the East China Sea—potentially involving technically advanced U.S. energy firms—will help meet medium-term energy needs and reinforce energy security for all three partners.
Yet, the landscape is not without its challenges. Chief among them is Russia’s Power of Siberia-2 pipeline, which, if completed in the mid-2030s, could pose a significant competitive threat to U.S. LNG exports to Asia. The Korea Economic Institute of America’s analysis underscores the need for strategic responses at both the bilateral and trilateral levels to ensure the resilience of this budding partnership.
Amid these developments in the energy sector, South Korea is also making headlines for its domestic achievements in science and technology. The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on December 26, 2025, that the country’s total R&D investment for 2024 reached an unprecedented 131 trillion KRW, representing 5.13 percent of its GDP. This marks the first time South Korea has surpassed the 5 percent threshold, maintaining its second-place ranking among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations, just behind Israel’s 6.35 percent (as of 2023).
The 2024 R&D survey, conducted in accordance with OECD guidelines and covering over 69,000 institutions, reveals a robust ecosystem powered by both public and private investment. Of the total expenditure, 27.7672 trillion KRW (21.2 percent) came from government and public funds, while a record-breaking 103.2790 trillion KRW (78.8 percent) was provided by private and foreign sources. Notably, private funding alone exceeded 100 trillion KRW for the first time, signaling strong corporate commitment to innovation.
Companies led the way, accounting for 106.6988 trillion KRW (81.4 percent) of R&D spending, followed by public research institutes (10.1 percent) and universities (8.4 percent). When broken down by stage, the lion’s share of investment—66 percent—went to experimental development, with basic and applied research comprising 14.7 percent and 19.3 percent, respectively. Year-on-year growth rates were strong across the board: experimental development rose by 11.1 percent, basic research by 8.6 percent, and applied research by 7.7 percent.
South Korea’s research workforce is also on the rise. In 2024, the total number of researchers reached 615,063, a 1.9 percent increase over the previous year. Including research support staff, the total R&D personnel climbed to 839,582. The number of female researchers continued its steady ascent, reaching 148,922 and accounting for 24.2 percent of the research workforce—up from 23.0 percent in 2022 and 23.7 percent in 2023.
When measured by Full-Time Equivalent (FTE), which adjusts for the actual time spent on research, South Korea boasted 503,346 FTE researchers in 2024, a 2.7 percent rise from the previous year. This metric is especially significant in international comparisons, and South Korea ranked first worldwide for researchers per 1,000 employees (17.6) and per 1,000 population (9.8).
The private sector’s dominance is further illustrated by the top 10 companies by revenue, which increased their collective R&D spending by 14.2545 trillion KRW from 2023 to 2024, reaching a total of 50.1266 trillion KRW. Their number of researchers also grew by 9,455, now totaling 79,622. These figures underscore the central role of industry in driving the nation’s innovation engine.
Looking ahead, the Ministry of Science and ICT plans to distribute the full survey report in February 2026, making the data available through various government and research portals. The information will be shared with the OECD and used for global comparative analysis, reinforcing South Korea’s status as a research powerhouse.
Taken together, these developments paint a picture of a nation leveraging its scientific and technological prowess to secure its future—both through homegrown innovation and strategic international partnerships. As the U.S., South Korea, and Japan deepen their energy cooperation, and as South Korea continues to invest heavily in R&D, the country stands at a crossroads of opportunity and responsibility in shaping the economic and technological landscape of East Asia and beyond.
With challenges like Russia’s Power of Siberia-2 pipeline looming and the ever-present volatility of global energy markets, the path forward will demand both resilience and adaptability. But if recent trends are any indication, South Korea and its partners are more than ready to meet the moment.
