South Korea on Monday proposed record sums for next year’s budget to support basic research and industrial policy, with the Ministry of Science and ICT seeking $19.6 billion (27.4 trillion won) and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy $9.9 billion (13.9 trillion won). The allocations, the largest to date for each ministry, are included in the government’s $522.9 billion (728 trillion won) national budget plan for 2026, which the Cabinet endorsed on Friday. The proposal will be submitted to the National Assembly on Wednesday for deliberation and approval.

The science ministry said it would expand the number of research