The programmes, branded the “Seven Major SEED”, cover small modular reactors, nuclear fusion, next-generation renewable energy, quantum technology, space and aviation, advanced biotechnology, and critical minerals. Bae Kyung-hoon, deputy prime minister and minister of science and ICT, said the government would “help these seeds grow and build a South Korea that no one can rival in 10 or 20 years”. The government has been explicit that the lunar mission is industrial in purpose. South Korea has framed advanced technology as a matter of national competitiveness as its semiconductor industry faces intensifying rivals. A successful 2030 mission would make South Korea the sixth nation to land a working craft on the lunar surface.