The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) said on Sept. 27 that it will launch special on-site inspections and tailored safety support to curb a rise in accidents at semiconductor research labs.
Semiconductor research involves strongly acidic solutions and toxic gases, and much of the work takes place in sealed clean rooms, which can magnify the damage when an accident occurs. Accidents have been climbing as semiconductor research expands at domestic universities. Accidents at university semiconductor labs rose from 18 in 2023 to 32 in 2025, nearly doubling in two years.
The ministry will conduct pilot inspections at three institutions by the end of this year, starting with Korea University of Technology and Education (KOREATECH) later this month, and will widen the program next year to 22 major universities and state-funded research institutes nationwide.
The ministry will also develop a safety checklist that allows research sites to identify hazards on their own, with distribution planned for late this year. Universities and research institutes building new labs will receive consulting support to ensure safety is built in from the design stage.
The ministry plans to establish cooperation frameworks with specialized agencies, including a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National Institute of Chemical Safety late this year.
"We will provide support so that a fine-grained safety net tailored to each site can be built, allowing researchers to focus solely on semiconductor research without worrying about lab accidents," said Lee Jun-bae, director general of the ministry's Future Talent Policy Bureau.
