ITIF：2026年韩国的STEM人才挑战：修复可部署性的激励机制报告（英文版）

Korea’s STEM challenge is not a pipeline shortage but a deployability gap. The country produces large numbers of graduates, yet firms still struggle to hire engineers and computing specialists who can contribute immediately to advanced industrial work.  Korea’s incentive structure favors medicine over engineering. Protected medical licensing, stable earnings, and regulated tuition create predictable returns, whereas engineering involves slower wage growth and greater early career uncertainty