South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT said on March 8 it will operate a public feedback platform, "Science and Technology Talent Voice 5.0," to draw up the fifth basic plan for fostering and supporting science and technology talent, which will underpin science and technology talent policy for 2026 to 2030.

The platform will operate for two weeks from March 9 to 20. It can be accessed through the ministry's website and the websites of related organisations, including the ministry, IRIS (National Researcher Information Service), NTIS (National Science and Technology Knowledge Information Service) and four science and technology institutes - KAIST, GIST, DGIST and UNIST - and anyone can freely submit suggestions.

The basic plan is the top-level statutory plan under Article 4 of the Special Act on Support for Science and Engineering, and is expected to be finalised in the first half of this year. The ministry plans to go beyond its existing policy focused on training personnel and include support for the growth of young science and technology professionals and the creation of AI-based innovation. In addition to the online platform, it will also conduct regional in-person consultations to gather opinions.

Lee Jun-bae (이준배), director general for Future Talent Policy at the ministry, said, "We will actively gather a range of public opinions to establish a basic plan that the public can relate to and feel."