Publications

Institute for Future Strategy
“2022–2023 Annual Report of the Institute for Future Strategy, Seoul National University”

Since its establishment in 2021, the Institute for Future Strategy (IFS) at Seoul National University has brought together leading scholars across the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering to conduct interdisciplinary research addressing Korea’s and humanity’s most complex challenges.

The 2022–2023 Annual Report summarises the research outcomes of the Institute’s six clusters—Democracy, Population, Global Korea, Economic Security, the Future of Science and Technology, and Global Pandemic—and provides an overview of IFS’s activities over the past year.

The Global Korea Cluster examined Korea’s evolving national identity and strategy as an “open network great power”, emphasising concentric multilateral diplomacy and maritime security strategies to strengthen its role within the Indo-Pacific order.

The Economic Security Cluster defined the core concept of economic security through the lens of supply chain dominance. Its analysis revealed China’s rise in export power, the weakening of U.S. supply chain dominance, and the vulnerabilities of Korea and Japan—while also highlighting Korea’s significant export capacity in emerging industries, suggesting its potential as an active player in next-generation industrial competition.

The Pandemic Cluster, drawing on Korea’s COVID-19 experience, objectively assessed the government’s pandemic response and proposed strategies to enhance future policy resilience. The research also diagnosed key challenges such as human rights, information distortion (infodemics), and educational inequality, providing recommendations for institutional reform.

The Population Cluster conducted multi-layered analyses of the causes and impacts of low fertility and population ageing. The decline in birth rates and the rapid ageing of society are expected to reduce both the quantity and quality of labour, posing a long-term threat to economic growth. The cluster therefore sought to develop more effective policy alternatives through in-depth empirical research.

The Democracy Cluster addressed the growing crisis of democracy amid structural changes linked to technological advancement, globalisation, rising inequality, identity-based politics, and media transformation. It analysed these challenges both globally and in the Korean context, proposing innovative solutions to revitalise democratic governance.

The Future of Science and Technology Cluster focused on the strategic development of future core technologies such as AI, proposing national innovation strategies through an integrated analysis of science, technology, and society. It particularly emphasised the importance of “cooperative technology sovereignty”—a model that seeks to secure national technological capacity through collaboration within the global innovation ecosystem. The cluster also explored initiatives such as the “Grand Quest” and “Future Generation Dialogue”, underscoring the need for Korea to transition from a technology follower to a technology leader.

Throughout the past year, the Institute organised over 30 public events and engaged widely with the media to disseminate its findings. Going forward, IFS reaffirms its commitment to advancing evidence-based, interdisciplinary, and pragmatic research that provides systematic and future-oriented national strategies for Korea and the world.

Keywords:
Institute for Future Strategy, Seoul National University, Global Korea, economic security, pandemic, population, democracy, the Future of Science and Technology