South Korea to Independently Develop Quantum Computers by 2029 with Superconducting and Neutral-Atom Dual-Track Strategy

South Korea has set a goal to independently develop a 100-qubit superconducting quantum computer and a 1,000-qubit neutral-atom quantum computer by 2029, aiming to avoid technological dependence amid intensifying global competition for quantum technology supremacy. The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) is spearheading the effort to secure core foundational technologies through a dual-track strategy that develops both approaches simultaneously.

Quantum computers are next-generation technologies that leverage quantum mechanical phenomena such as superposition and entanglement to achieve computational performance that overwhelms conventional computers on certain problems. While traditional computers process information using bits that represent either 0 or 1, quantum computing operates on qubits, which can exist as 0 and 1 simultaneously.

Thanks to these properties, quantum computers are regarded as revolutionary technology capable of solving in minutes calculations that would take classical computers hundreds of thousands of years. Google has announced that its quantum computer performed a calculation estimated to take a supercomputer 10,000 years in just 200 seconds. The University of Science and Technology of China has also reported achieving performance far surpassing existing supercomputers on specific computational problems.