South Korea has designated Tech Developers Day as a statutory national commemoration for the first time this year to recognise the work of research and development personnel. The Ministry of Science and ICT held a ceremony in Seoul on Sept. 7 and presented awards to researchers and companies that contributed to strengthening technological competitiveness. The ministry said it granted 55 government awards, including medals, orders and presidential and prime ministerial citations, along with additional vice prime minister citations and outstanding researcher awards.

South Korea\'s Ministry of Science and ICT said on Wednesday it has newly selected 11 centres as leading research centres under its 2026 basic research programme. The scheme, launched in 1990, supports mid- to large-scale joint research and strengthens university collaboration and industry-academia-research links. The 11 centres span science, engineering and basic medical science. Each will receive 1.5 billion to 2.2 billion won a year for seven years.