Statistics on the 2004 Korean Bio Industry

The biotechnology industry is booming in South Korea. Biomedical science research began in the early in the 1960s and began spawning biotech companies due to government encouragement, reports Aldar S. Bourinbaiar in the 2006 issue of the "Electronic Journal of Biotechnology." In 1993, the government's "Basic Plan for Fostering Life Sciences" helped the bio-industry in Korea begin to grow in earnest, writes KOH You-Sang on the Samsung Economic Research Institute website SERIWorld.org. Although Korea is something of a latecomer to bio-industry writes You-Sang, it has used a catch-up strategy to become among the world's forerunners in the bio-industry. Bourinbaiar predicts that Korea may become a leader in bioengineering.

Overall Growth

• Whole cities are being built around the biotechnology industry.

  The Korean Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE) reports that Korea's bio-industry output reached $2.42 billion in 2004, increasing by 35.7 percent from 2001 and 2002 and increasing 16.3 percent in 2004. The import into Korea's biotechnology industry reached $673 million in 2004, and the exports reached $1.134 billion according to MKE. Biomedicine accounted for 70 percent of the imports, and bioproducts made up 71 percent of the exports in 2004. The medical sector accounted for 60 percent of Korea's bio-industry. Other sectors of bio-industry in Korea include environmental and energy research, informational and diagnostic equipment, and genetically modified food. Over 600 biotech companies existed in 2004 in Korea and employed 12,138 people, over half of whom were working in research and development and almost half working in production, reports MKE. The International Vaccine Institute has based its project in Seoul's first biotech incubator, and many other such projects are in development according to Bourinbaiar. Whole cities will be devoted to biotechnology in the Songdo BioComplex and the Osong Bio-health Science Technopolis.

Drug Production

• Korea is homebase for the International Vaccine Institute's research.

  Bio-medicines made up 40.2 percent of Korea's bio-industry in 2004. The Korean company LG Life Sciences Ltd signed a United Nations contract in 2004 to produce a hepatitis B vaccine for $22 million, reports Bourinbaiar. The quinoline antibiotic became the first Korean drug to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This drug made Korea the 11th-ranking drug developer in the world, according to KOH You-Sang. Government funds for biotechnology have surpassed that for the information technology sector as of 2003. The major drug products that were in development in 2004 in Korea were vaccines, antibiotics, amino acid and lysine.

Bio-Therapy

• Korea may become a leader in gene therapy.

  Biotherapy involves cell treatments and gene therapy. Korea is a forerunner in cell cloning and gene delivery technology reports You-Sang. Biotherapy may be a core technology in the future; and as of 2004, Korea had 12 somatic cell therapies and one gene therapy in the clinical-testing stage.

Bio-Information and Equipment

• Mobile phones may become medical diagnostic tools.

  Bio-equipment made up a small portion of Korea's bio-industry in 2004 -- just two percent, reports MKE. Bio-equipment used to refer to analytic equipment for labs and hospitals. This field is expected to expand into the household and portable field.

  Ubiquitous health is also known as U-health. U-health refers to the ability to provide medical services "anytime, anywhere" reports You-Sang. Patients may carry equipment with them that can be used for diagnosis or treatment. Such computer-technology-enabled information may be installed in mobile phones, homes or attached to clothing. The bio-chips, bio-sensors, communication networks and medical systems necessary to enable U-health are on the rise. In 2004, such bio-technology made up only 2.7 percent of Koreas bio-industry, according to MKE.

Bio-Environment and Energy

• Alternative energy and reducing environmental pollution are other aspects of bio-industry.

  The bio-environment sector of Korea's bio-industry in 2004 measured only 4.7 percent. Such bio-technology is intended to curb environmental pollution. Alternative energy sources are another aspect of bio-technology on the rise.

Bio-Food

• GMOs include crops resistant to insects or disease.

  Genetically-engineered organisms (GMOs) are on the rise in many countries. Bio-engineered food accounted for 43.6 percent of Korea's bio-industry in 2004. In 2004, 70 types of GMO crops were at the test harvesting stage, according to You-Sang.