On March 28, foreign researchers holding miniature cube satellites stood out at the demonstration and explanation session for lunar local resource verification held at the abandoned mine in Taebaek, Gangwon Province. They were researchers who came along with Professor Bang Hyo-chung of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).
Professor Bang is the top expert in satellite attitude control and guidance and navigation in Korea. He is developing a low-orbit cube satellite for lunar resource exploration. Professor Bang noted, "There are about 30 researchers and students working in the lab, of which 7 are foreign researchers," and added, "We hired many foreign researchers, taking advantage of the global nature of the aerospace industry."
Professor Bang's 'Aerospace Systems and Control Laboratory' opened in 2001. He is actively involved in establishing science and technology policies alongside his research. He serves as the Vice Chairperson of the National Space Committee and chairs the Defense Special Committee of the National Science and Technology Advisory Council. When asked if he had no worries as a key figure in the aerospace community, Professor Bang shook his head.
He stated, "Everyone is making a fuss over the lack of manpower in the aerospace industry, but it seems the government is not interested in helping foreign researchers who come to Korea settle here," adding, "Currently, it is up to individual professors to take responsibility for helping foreign researchers settle down."
◇Foreign researchers still excluded from research projects
On the 29th, Professor Bang, whom I met in a lab at KAIST's Department of Aerospace Engineering in Daejeon, said, "The aerospace industry is globalized, with participation from over 100 countries, which is why our laboratory is open to foreign researchers," adding, "Soon, if one more foreign researcher joins, it will be 8. "
That day, I also met three foreign researchers working with Professor Bang. They are Mikaël Marin from France, a postdoctoral researcher; Muhammad Awais Arshad from Pakistan; and Mohammed Haruna Hamza from Nigeria, a doctoral student. They have been in Korea for anywhere from 7 to over 10 years.
Professor Bang pointed out that there is a severe shortage of specialized professionals in Korea's aerospace sector. According to statistics from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Korea has 9,000 space professionals, which is far fewer than the United States (360,000), the United Kingdom (48,000), and France (32,000). The same applies to the aviation industry. This is also why Professor Bang is working to help foreign researchers and students settle in the country. He stated, "My personal goal is to recruit many excellent foreign researchers and contribute to the aerospace industry."
Contrary to Professor Bang's hopes, the reality is not easy. He identified securing salaries (labor costs) for foreign researchers as the biggest issue. Professors cover researchers' labor costs through various research projects. It is not that Professor Bang struggles to win projects; the problem is discrimination against foreign researchers.
Professor Bang said, "There are quite a few cases where foreign researchers are excluded from projects," pointing out that this often happens even when there are no security issues, like with defense.
With a quarter of the researchers in Professor Bang's lab being foreign researchers, it is often difficult to secure labor costs. He remarked, "Consider that Son Heung-min or Lee Jung-hoo can’t get paid just because they are foreign. They are foreigners who have come to Korea to study and research, leaving their families behind, and there needs to be a system in place to ensure their livelihoods."
◇Even after 10 years of study, no permanent residency
The foreign researchers interviewed that day all expressed a desire to settle in Korea. Researcher Arshad lives in Korea with his two daughters who attend elementary school and is preparing to start a startup here. Researcher Marin serves as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Astrolinks, a deep-tech company in the space sector founded by Professor Bang. Although Arshad and Marin do not speak Korean, they noted that their time at KAIST has minimized language difficulties.
Researcher Hamza, who came from Nigeria, received his bachelor's degree from Chosun University and his master's degree from KAIST. He is proficient in Korean. Hamza stated, "It's hard to find a research environment as good as KAIST. I often recommend Korea to friends and other researchers back home, adding, 'I want to work in Korea after completing my doctoral program.'"
While they all expressed satisfaction with life in Korea and a desire to settle here, they carried big questions about the future. This was due to the arduous process that previous foreign researchers went through to settle in Korea. Professor Bang cited a foreign researcher from India who recently completed their doctoral program.
Professor Bang shared, "That student decided to work for Hanwha Aerospace, but faced delays in obtaining citizenship without any apparent reason, leading to difficulties," adding, "It’s frustrating for an aerospace expert who has lived in Korea for 12 years and done research to continuously be left hanging."
Researcher Hamza remarked, "A friend who left Nigeria received citizenship in Canada in about 5 years, but it seems like it takes much longer in Korea." Having arrived in Korea when he entered Chosun University in 2018, Hamza mentioned that although he has lived in Korea for 8 years, he believes it will take another 5 to 6 years to receive permanent residency.
Researcher Arshad stated, "Korea offers many opportunities in the deep-tech field, so I want to start a startup," but added, "Under the current system, I believe it’s impossible for foreign researchers on student visas to run a startup." He noted, "KAIST does actively support entrepreneurship, but the government is blocking it."
Professor Bang pointed out, "The situation is such that foreign researchers have to leave the lab to start a startup," adding, "It's as if we are asking foreign researchers to start a business in the middle of nowhere." Researcher Marin holds the CTO position at a startup founded by Professor Bang but, due to similar issues, is unable to appear on the official employee list.
◇“Let’s bring in 10,000 foreign researchers”
Professor Bang emphasized that actively attracting foreign researchers is essential for enhancing Korea's competitiveness in the science and technology sector. He revealed that attracting 10,000 foreign researchers and spending 100 million won on salaries each year would only amount to 1 trillion won. This is a proposal to allocate 1 trillion won from the national R&D budget, which amounts to 30 trillion won annually, for the labor costs of foreign researchers.
Professor Bang stated, "Even if 1 trillion won is spent on foreign researchers' labor costs, it won’t significantly impact the overall national R&D plan," explaining, "On the other hand, bringing in 10,000 excellent foreign researchers could bring about significant changes in AI or aerospace." He added, "The way for Korea to navigate the competition for supremacy in science and technology lies in people, and we need to invest in foreign researchers to help them settle in Korea."
He pointed out that the structure where the supervising professor is responsible for all students' salaries needs to be changed. In particular, he suggested introducing a system where the government covers half of the labor costs for foreign researchers, whose project participation is restricted. Professor Bang remarked, "The current system, where a single professor has to shoulder everything, is a highly uncertain one," and stressed, "There’s an outcry for manpower in both industry and research, and I hope the government will invest actively in people."