Seoul: South Korea aims to fully self-supply radioactive isotopes by 2030 as part of efforts to foster the local radiobiology industry and begin exporting radiopharmaceuticals by 2035, the science ministry said Thursday. "We have devised a strategy to spearhead into the global radiopharmaceuticals market by improving domestic production capabilities of radioactive isotopes and securing infrastructure for new drug development," First Vice Science Minister Lee Chang-yune said.According to Yonhap News Agency, under the strategy, the government will create a national isotope program to develop technologies and build infrastructure to produce and supply radioactive isotopes for medical purposes independently by 2030. The ministry stated that this roadmap will help the country become a first mover in the global radiation biology market, which has been experiencing rapid growth due to expectations that the technology could assist in cancer treatment.To achieve these goals, the government will support the develop ment of technologies for medical isotopes, such as Lutetium-177 and Molybdenum-99, and advance the existing proton accelerator and research reactor. Additionally, assistance will be provided to research projects aiming to develop at least three novel drug candidates and to export radiopharmaceutical products by 2035.The strategy also includes forming industry clusters across the country, with plans for a new drug development center in Seoul and an isotope cluster in the southeastern region.
- October 12, 2026
