In 1973, the Korean government initiated a plan to establish a major high-t
echnology research complex, called Daeduck Science Park (DSP). The Ministry
of Science and Technology (MST) designated 27 square kilometers of land in
Taejon, a city of 1.3 million people (1999) for the creation of the park.
By 1998, the DSP had grown to host some 60 institutions employing about 12,
000 scientists and technicians, and approximately 5000 support staff. This
research note reviews the process involved in developing the DSP, evaluates
the outcome of the project, and suggests policy alternatives. Data used we
re collected from a planning project and from interviews with officials of
the MST and the DSP Management Office. It can be concluded that the plan fo
r the DSP was successfully implemented and the guidelines contained in the
original plan were well observed. Some problems that emerged in the earlier
stages, such as a lack of local economic benefits and political input, are
now being corrected. The DSP does provide adequate working and residential
environments for those who work for the research and educational instituti
ons that contribute to the advancement of the nation's scientific and techn
ological research. JEL classification: O32, R11, R58.