President Yoon Suk Yeol says the government will lay the foundation for the scale of production in the domestic bio industry to reach 200 trillion won, or over 149 billion U.S. dollars by 2035. 

During the 24th people's livelihood debate on Tuesday in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, Yoon said the government will foster the high-tech bio industry as the next-generation flagship sector, in the same vein as its dominance in semiconductor production.

In particular, Yoon emphasized the need to prepare for the next pandemic, calling for the need to secure mRNA vaccine technology, adding that the government will significantly expand R&D investment in the cutting-edge bio industry starting next year.

Yoon added that the government will push to implement AI technology in the bio industry, noting future use of digital therapeutics and advanced medical devices using AI and robots, while vowing to create a platform to provide the services researchers need.