Post Catch-Up Innovation and Development of Creative Talent in Korea: Limitations and Challenges

Korea faces challenges from the recent development catch-up countries and the absence of catch up incentives. For Korea to solve the issue of post catch-up problems and create a new development path based on creative innovation, there is an urgent need to secure a system design capability for the production of creative knowledge and talent that can create a competitive society. However, the conservative inclination and a lack of a customer-oriented attitude of Korean universities and professors leads to a standardization of talent and a passive restructuring of the curriculum by universities instead of a direct correspondence with the demands of companies and society. The compatibility of Korean university education with the demands of society remains the lowest in the world and creative education in Korea faces a difficult situation. The world is transforming from a knowledge-based economy to a creativity-based economy and a competitive society will led by creativity, not by knowledge. The success of a country in nurturing creative talent will determine its future national competitiveness. For Korea to be become a global leader in the new era of creativity, it needs to make proactive preparations. It is imperative for Korea to transform the educational system from the previous cramming system to a creativity-nurturing system.