South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT said on Tuesday that the country’s research industry expanded in 2024, with total revenue reaching about $19.3 billion (28.6 trillion won), up 3.6% from a year earlier, while employment rose 2.2% to around 190,000 workers. The number of firms in the sector increased 6.1% to 21,007, according to the government’s 2025 survey of the research industry, the second such study since the dataset was designated as official national statistics.

The survey showed that contract research accounted for the largest share of revenue, followed by research materials, management services and equipment, underscoring