The government is announcing a new basic plan for radio wave promotion, which is prepared every five years, and is moving forward in earnest to overcome the spatial, physical, and functional limitations of radio waves and to expand capabilities for public use of radio waves and to take the lead in the global wireless market.

The Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Yoo Sang-im) announced the '4th Basic Plan for Radio Promotion' through the Economic Ministers' Meeting on the 16th.

The 'Basic Plan for Radio Promotion' is a statutory plan based on the Radio Act. Various tasks were discovered through approximately 60 meetings between industry, academia, and research experts since May 2023, and various opinions were heard through the Radio Policy Advisory Council, external reviews (three times) from companies, research institutes, and academia, public hearings, and mailings to science and technology-related organizations.

The '4th Basic Plan for Radio Wave Promotion' announced this time is a mid- to long-term strategy to realize a digital innovation-leading nation by maximizing the expansion and utilization of radio waves. It presents four major strategies and key goals under the vision of 'Digital Prosperity Republic of Korea Expanding through Radio Waves.'

Strategy 1 is to ‘lead the world’s leading country in the radio industry’: △Securing 10 key radio technologies △Radio industry leadersThe main goal is to enact the Heungbeop (tentative name).

Strategy 2 aims to ‘provide radio resources for digital innovation’ with the following main goals: △securing 6G frequencies and △securing 100 satellite networks by 2030.

Strategy 3 aims to ‘expand public and efficient radio wave use’, with the following as its main goals: △provision of radio wave-based public services and △establishment of a frequency utilization efficiency evaluation system.

Strategy 4 aims to ‘create a radio environment that the public can trust’, with the following main goals: △strengthening radio interference and disaster response capabilities, and △improving awareness of electromagnetic wave safety.

To this end, Strategy 1 selects and fosters five strategic areas and ten key technologies to overcome radio limitations that drive wireless digital expansion.

The five major strategic areas selected are: satellite communications, non-terrestrial communications, extreme radio waves, radio energy, and radio convergence, and the ten key technologies selected are: next-generation satellite communications, ultra-small IoT satellites, aerial communications, underground and underwater communications, communications to overcome medium limitations, extremely high frequency communications and sensing, wireless power transmission, radio power reduction, I-Eum 5G, and radio healthcare.

In addition, we are expanding our core radio capabilities to take the lead in the global wireless market and considering establishing the K-Spectrum Fund to foster global radio companies.

We are also working to establish laws and systems to promote the radio industry.

Here, we are also taking the lead in securing and supplying frequencies for ultra-high-speed, large-capacity wireless infrastructure and proactively supplying frequencies to lead future wireless industries and services.

In addition, in order to realize a digital age of national consensus utilizing radio waves, we will work to expand the public use of radio waves and create an efficient and fair radio wave use environment.

In addition, it is necessary to establish robust radio security and rationalize radio interference prevention and response. We are also working to create a clean radio environment through systems and strict management.

In addition, in order to ensure national safety and property protection from disasters, we plan to establish legal grounds and inspection standards for safety inspections of radio stations related to rescue and disasters, such as the integrated flood and forest fire public network.

Minister of Science and ICT Yoo Sang-im said, “As most digital services are becoming wireless in the midst of the global digital innovation trend, the importance of radio waves that support the smooth flow of data is gradually increasing.” He added, “We will actively support the development of radio waves, which are key resources for digital innovation, and the growth of the radio waves industry, and create an environment where people can use radio waves with confidence.”