. X . Achievements in basic science have brought about fundamental changes in our live s.

anges in our live s. Penicillin, X-ray, semiconductors and laser are all products of basic scienti fic research, which begins with the desire to satisfy curiosity. These advances have led to huge improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of disease and to t he invention of the computer and the smartphone. Living without such fruits of s cience is almost unimaginable now. Still, basic science is full of uncertainties . It is hard to predict what research efforts will succeed or what will have a b ig enough impact to change human civilization. Also, because the fruits of basic research generally have broad applications, the profits do not necessarily go t o the first discoverer or inventor. This is why the government, rather than busi ness, takes the lead in investment in basic research in any country. Some might wonder why the South Korean government has to spend money on basic sc ience. They say that because the results of most basic scientific studies are pu blished as papers, South Korea can take other countries achievements and use them in applied research. This is in fact the strategy that the country has used over the years. The problem, however, is that while the strategy makes sense when th e goal is to catch up with advanced countries, it can never work for a country t hat tries to get ahead of others.