South Korea regional growth policies face transparency concerns

South Korean government initiatives aimed at regional balanced growth and university specialization are facing scrutiny and local pushback. Under the ‘Package Support Project for Flagship National Universities,’ Pusan National, Chonnam National, and Chungnam National Universities have been selected to receive up to 500 billion won each over five years through 2030. This program, often referred to as ‘making ten Seoul National Universities,’ aims to reduce university hierarchy and boost regional research capabilities. However, excluded universities and local communities have raised concerns regarding the transparency of the selection process and the lack of disclosed evaluation criteria.

In a separate development, the Ministry of Education announced the results of the ‘2026 Specialized Leading University Cultivation Project.’ A total of 33 institutions, including 16 general universities and 17 junior colleges, were selected to receive approximately 600 billion won in funding through 2030. Selected institutions will benefit from regulatory exemptions and financial support to focus on specialized sectors. In the Chungbuk region, Chungbuk Health Science University was the sole junior college selected, focusing on bio, battery, chip (BBC), and AI technologies to support regional strategic industries.