South Korea has a strong desire to win the Nobel Prize, which is driven by national prestige and a desire to advance science and technology. However, it’s worth discussing whether this obsession actually has a positive impact, or whether it has negative consequences by diverting resources away from other important areas.
Every year, around the end of October, South Korea feels a thirst for Nobel Prize winners. The thirst for a Nobel Prize was intensified a few years ago when neighboring China won its first Nobel Prize. The whole country, starting with the president, is trying to create a system and support to foster Nobel Prize-worthy talent. In fact, various government agencies and private foundations are supporting researchers with Nobel Prize projects. For example, the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning has created a long-term research plan to increase the chances of winning the Nobel Prize and is strengthening support for basic science at the national level. These moves have become an essential strategy to boost the country’s technological prowess and prestige. However, many still worry that this obsession with the Nobel Prize could have negative side effects. In this article, I will discuss how South Koreans’ obsession with the Nobel Prize affects them personally and nationally, and argue whether it is necessary.
The Nobel Prize is awarded annually for academic contributions to the development of human civilization according to the will of Swedish Alfred Nobel in 1895. The prizes have been awarded since 1901, and there are four categories: Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Nobel Prize in Literature, and Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Prizes are highly prestigious in their respective fields and are awarded to people who have made significant contributions to society. Each year, only one or two people in the world are awarded in each field. This guarantees that the winners have a very high level of knowledge and skill in their field and have made a significant contribution to society. The more Nobel Prize winners a country has, especially in science and technology, the higher the level of science and technology in that country is considered to be globally recognized. It is important to note that the Nobel Prize is not just an individual honor, but is considered a symbol of a country’s scientific development. This is why Korean society is so eager to have a Nobel Prize winner.
There are many positive aspects of winning a Nobel Prize. Winning a Nobel Prize makes a person’s work more recognizable, and it encourages follow-up research based on his or her research or technology, which can lead to further achievements. It also promotes talented researchers globally, which can lead to a lot of investment and further research activities. These studies also lead to national assets. For example, research achievements can lead to new technologies or products, which can generate economic benefits. For example, advances in science and technology can lead to the creation of new industries, which in turn can lead to economic growth for a country. Thus, the Nobel Prize is likely to lead to economic and industrial benefits beyond mere scientific achievement.
Finally, the Nobel Prize is a great incentive for many fellow scientists to pursue their research. It stimulates the researcher’s nature of competition and achievement, motivating them to do better. In fact, among scientists, the Nobel Prize is considered the ultimate dream, and it requires deeper research and creative thinking to win it. This stimulus, in turn, fuels a country’s scientific research environment. Countries also benefit from having a large number of Nobel Prize winners, as it raises the profile of their scientific and technological prowess internationally, increasing confidence in their products and projects. In particular, countries like South Korea, which have a small domestic market and rely mostly on exports, may see an increase in exports as the increased status of their technological prowess builds trust in the quality of their products. In addition, countries are more likely to participate in joint research and projects, which can have a virtuous circle effect on their own scientific development.
South Koreans seem to be extremely interested in the Nobel Prize because of the benefits it brings and because the country has the stigma of having poor science compared to its economic size. However, despite this interest, South Korea hasn’t produced a Nobel Prize winner in a long time, and the desire for a Nobel Prize has turned into an obsession as neighboring Japan has produced many Nobel Prize winners. In 2015, another neighboring country, China, won a Nobel Prize, and this obsession is only intensifying. As the old saying goes, the sooner you turn around, the sooner you go back, the sooner you’ll be able to win the Nobel Prize. Worse yet, even if you do win the prize, it can be costly to focus on the prize and not invest in what you need. For example, if a country sets its research policy with the goal of winning a Nobel Prize, it may not be able to invest in areas that are actually more needed. In this article, I’ll discuss the necessity of the Nobel Prize obsession from two perspectives.
First, an industry such as the Nobel Prize Fostering Project is not run by a single individual, but rather by a group of experts from various fields. That’s why we can soberly analyze why South Korea hasn’t produced a Nobel Prize winner. While the obsession with the Nobel Prize can make people’s interest flare up, the actual research process allows for diverse opinions to be shared and objective evaluations to be made, which helps to keep the analysis dispassionate and free of excessive emotion. This process eventually creates a better research environment at the national level, so the obsession with the Nobel Prize may eventually lead to the production of winners.
Secondly, given the current situation in South Korea, it can be argued that investing manpower and resources in the Nobel Prize could lead to a lack of investment in other, more important areas. Most research in South Korea is focused on areas that can produce early and tangible results and outcomes. It is well known that this is due to the need for quick results from companies and the government. As a result, basic science is underfunded or underinvested in areas that require long-term research. The impact is also felt in the industrial sector, where the lack of technology for basic core materials and components leads to imports from abroad, which in turn leads to high production costs. As a result, Korea needs to invest in basic science and make long-term investments in order for its industries to be competitive. The reasons for Korea’s inability to produce Nobel Prize winners are the same as the aforementioned reasons for the industry’s difficulties.
Therefore, experts have been constantly informing governments and companies that want to foster Nobel Prize winners, and the need for investment in basic sciences and mid- to long-term projects has been repeatedly raised. This has not only changed the mindset of the funders, but also resonated with most people. It has spread awareness that long-term research aimed at Nobel Prizes is more than just a research achievement, but an essential factor in enhancing a country’s competitiveness in science and technology.
For example, Samsung has planned to invest KRW 1.5 trillion in basic science over 10 years starting in 2013 for a Nobel Prize project. The project, called the Future Technology Fostering Project, will support a total of 38 fields in basic science, material technology, and information and communication technology. Samsung explained that creativity in research is a key consideration in the program.
