[fn Editorial] China's Indiscriminate Talent Poaching: Is the Government Helpless?

It has been revealed that China's campaign to recruit domestic technology talent has spread extensively, even reaching government-funded research institutes. According to materials released on the 6th by Choi Soo-jin of the People Power Party, hundreds of researchers at government-funded institutes were targeted for recruitment under China's Thousand Talents Plan (TTP) last year. The Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI) alone received 226 emails, the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS) received 188, and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI) received 127. Many other institutes, including the Korea Institute of Toxicology (KIT), also received more than 100 emails from China.
The fact that even researchers at government-funded institutes are being targeted demonstrates the breadth and persistence of China's talent acquisition drive. The TTP initially aimed to attract 1,000 top scientists and engineers to China. Launched around 2008, the project first focused on overseas Chinese but gradually expanded to include foreigners, with the 1,000-person target becoming virtually unlimited. China's recruitment of technical talent has served as a channel for technology leakage and even outright theft, provoking strong backlash from countries such as the United States. These tensions continue today.
In Korea, the main targets were once university professors, graduate students, and corporate executives, but now the indiscriminate recruitment campaign has expanded to STEM professionals across various institutions. When research institutes began blocking Chinese email domains, China shifted its strategy to approach individual researchers directly. They arrange trips to China under various pretexts, increasing contact and offering incentives after multiple visits.
In the harsh domestic research environment, China's financial incentives for talent recruitment are a serious concern. The recent exodus of distinguished Korean scholars to China stems from these issues. If passionate scholars cannot continue their research due to the mandatory retirement age, they are left with little choice but to accept such offers.
Tsinghua University reportedly offers outstanding talent an annual salary of 200 million won, a settlement bonus of 700 million won, and research funding of 4 billion won. Peking University provides AI and computer science professionals with annual salaries ranging from 200 million to 400 million won. Age is not a barrier for those with strong performance. While it is not wrong to attract talent through legitimate means, such indiscriminate poaching must be addressed. Talent recruitment of this nature poses a threat to technological security, no different from technology leakage via espionage.
We are virtually defenseless against China's aggressive tactics. Despite the urgent risk of losing national core technologies, authorities remain passive, as if it is someone else's problem. We cannot simply stand by and watch. Diplomatic protests should be considered. Fundamentally, we must provide better treatment and create an environment where our talented individuals can conduct research in Korea.
China offers exceptional treatment and management for scientific talent. What about Korea? Once scholars reach retirement age, their research funding is cut off, even if they still have the capacity to contribute. This is not just a matter of money. The government and society must foster a culture that respects science and values scientists. The answers can be found by asking those who have left Korea.