Accelerator science in Korea: current challenges and future opportunities

Abstract

Accelerators that generate charged particle beams and boost them to the required energies have become an integral part of our daily life in various domains, ranging from materials processing and testing, medical diagnostics and therapy, and large-scale scientific discovery. This review traces the historical development of Korea's accelerator technology, summarizes the status of domestic large-scale accelerator facilities, and outlines strategic directions for next-generation infrastructures and applications. We highlight the current challenges and future opportunities across both discovery sciences and applied sectors, including global trends and Korea's position in the international landscape.