[Editorial] 96% of SNU Professors Support Performance-Based Pay—A Trend That Should Spread Across Society

It has been reported that 96% of professors at Seoul National University (SNU) support the adoption of a performance-based salary system. This result, which emerged from SNU’s own survey ahead of the system’s implementation, is more encouraging than generally expected. It suggests that SNU professors are acutely aware of the challenges facing the university’s research environment.
SNU’s push for a performance-based salary system gained momentum after several professors moved to overseas universities last year, attracted by better pay and conditions. Before the new system was implemented, professors were given a choice between the performance-based system and the seniority-based pay system. With the exception of some professors nearing retirement, most opted for the performance-based model.
It would be unfair to place all the blame on professors for seeking better opportunities abroad. Compared to their counterparts overseas, Korean professors receive relatively lower salaries and do not enjoy particularly favorable research environments. Nevertheless, it is a fact that the research output of Korean professors remains low by global standards.
According to Leiden University, SNU published 19,485 papers between 2019 and 2022, but only 113—just 0.6%—ranked among the top 1% most-cited worldwide. SNU was 117th out of 1,506 universities globally, and by percentage (0.6%), it ranked 1,079th—a notably low position. This is the research performance level of professors at what is considered Korea’s top university. Before discussing pay and working conditions, it is clear that professors’ research efforts are lacking.
Introducing a performance-based salary system is one way to address this lagging research performance. By offering higher pay to high-performing professors, the system encourages others to strive for better results. Professors who fail to produce quality research or deliver passionate lectures throughout the year are unfit for their positions. The seniority-based pay system, which pays everyone the same regardless of effort, is a major drawback.
In any profession, the seniority-based pay system has more drawbacks than advantages. In state-owned enterprises and the public sector, where powerful labor unions exist, performance-based pay is often rejected. Unions demand equal pay for employees with the same years of service, regardless of performance. Such practices hinder progress. Although SNU now operates as a corporation rather than a national university, the overwhelming support for performance-based pay among its professors is significant.
The same logic applies to the allocation of the national R&D budget. If the budget is simply divided among all, the return on investment can be low. Although Korea’s R&D budget has remained among the world’s largest for years, it is worth questioning whether the outcomes have matched the investment. The fact that Korea has yet to produce a Nobel Prize winner in science indirectly highlights this issue.
Unless a nation is socialist, competition should be emphasized. Rewarding individuals according to their efforts is a prerequisite for progress. Sports competitions offer a clear example: athletes who achieve even slightly better records receive greater recognition and rewards, which drives continuous improvement.