Inequality in Funding and Productivity in the South Korean Academic System

Abstract

This study examines the research funding in South Korea's academic system. It centers on the funding distribution activities of the National Research Foundation, stressing the need to strike a balance between funding that is motivated by research quality or excellence and the equal distribution of resources. To do this, the study analyzes data spanning five years, from 2017 to 2021, and finds differences in research output and funding allocation based on organizational and individual factors. The findings show that although funding opportunities have improved over the past five years, the disparity has worsened. Research productivity appears to be positively correlated with funding levels at the individual level. Except for 2021, we see an overall rising trend in funding and publication inequality. Research productivity at the university level, except for medical and pharmaceutical science, often follows the same trend as funding allocation. A comparable pattern regarding funding inequality has been noted about publishing inequality across disciplines. Fascinatingly, university financing inequality has a pattern comparable to that of publishing inequality, except for capital-area universities in 2021. Finally, we propose various policy implications for the academic system based on the outcomes of this investigation.