Korea Research Foundation launches 200 billion-won super-regional talent development push

The government will invest 200 billion won (about $132 million) to develop talent at the super-regional level, aiming to drive balanced growth across the country. The goal is to cultivate regional universities as centers of innovation and produce graduates who will put down roots locally, revitalizing communities outside the capital.

The Ministry of Education and the Korea Research Foundation will hold the "2026 Anchor Annual Review and Super-Regional Talent Development Master Plan Briefing" at the Korea National Railway headquarters on Tuesday.

The event is designed to share the direction of the first-year performance review under the Anchor framework — formerly known as RISE — and to discuss plans to expand super-regional talent development through the "5 Poles, 3 Special Zones" model and similar multi-region structures.

The annual review session will brief officials from all 17 cities and provinces and their regional anchor centers on the review's direction, standards for drafting performance reports, and the overall schedule.

The review will be guided by three principles — horizontal collaboration, strategic investment, and performance-based feedback — with a focus on examining project implementation across the board, spreading best practices from high-performing regions, and identifying areas for improvement.

Based on the review results, the government plans to channel 400 billion won in performance-based reinvestment, while refining regional investment strategies and project management to drive concrete improvements.

A subsequent briefing will walk officials from the 17 cities and provinces, regional anchor centers, and universities through the master plans for two 200-billion-won initiatives under the Anchor framework — the "5 Poles, 3 Special Zones Shared University" program and the "Super-Regional Growth Engine Talent Development" program — along with guidance on writing project proposals and the application process.

The 5 Poles, 3 Special Zones Shared University program, budgeted at 120 billion won, will build a super-regional shared university network that pools education and research resources among universities within each zone, narrowing the education gap between regions and expanding students' academic choices.

The Super-Regional Growth Engine Talent Development program, budgeted at 80 billion won, will establish a cross-regional cooperation model in which universities, businesses, and local governments jointly develop core talent tied to each zone's strategic industries, supporting practical workforce training that meets real industry demand.

Korea Research Foundation Chairman Hong Won-hwa said the annual review would ensure that first-year regional innovation achievements are closely examined and linked to local development. "Through the new super-regional talent development projects launching in the second half of the year, we will actively support efforts to strengthen inter-regional cooperation and build a foundation for local talent to settle and thrive in their home regions," he said.