A Study on the Patentability of Inventions related to Human Embryonic Stem Cells in Korea

Abstract

The Korean government has been supporting R&D in biotechnology since legislating the “Genetic Engineering Promotion Law” in 1983. In 1993, the government initiated the National Biotechnology Development Program1, an ambitious 14-year plan to promote biotechnology. The program aims at making Korean’s science and technology sector competitive with that of the world’s leading countries and also accelerating the technological transfer of biotechnology research to commercial applications. Since the late 1990s, the government has viewed the bio-industry as a key industry for the 21st century and has undertaken unsurpassed efforts for technological advances in related fields. Since 2000, the government’s annual budget for biotechnology has increased each year by an average of 30 percent. In addition the government is providing even more research and development support, financial support, and industrial basis support.