South Korea Expands Quantum Communications Testbeds Through 2028

South Korea’s Quantum Testbed Expansion to 2028

South Korea is scaling up its quantum communications testing infrastructure with a three‑year, 7.4 billion‑won program that creates distinct hubs for commercial rollout, cross‑border interoperability, and next‑generation research. The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), together with the National Information Society Agency (NIA), has appointed a KT‑led consortium to run the commercial and future hubs and an SK Broadband‑led consortium to manage the overseas hub. The effort aims to accelerate commercialization of domestically developed quantum‑cryptography hardware, validate interoperability, and forge testing links with partners in Singapore, Poland, and Bulgaria.

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1. Commercial Hub – From Testbed to Nationwide Service

The existing open‑quantum test network, already spanning Seoul, Pangyo, and Daejeon, will be extended to Daegu this year, then to Gwangju, Busan, and finally the Gangwon region by 2028. Companies will use the hub to:

• Deploy quantum key distribution (QKD) for secure data transmission in research, medical, and financial sectors.
• Verify interoperability between Korean‑made quantum devices from different vendors.
• Conduct real‑world trials that mimic the operational environments of future commercial services.

By providing shared access to costly measurement equipment and a common communications backbone, the hub lowers entry barriers for startups and established firms alike, fostering a domestic ecosystem that can compete globally.

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2. Overseas Hub – Building Cross‑Border Quantum Trust

The overseas hub focuses on international collaboration. It will link South Korean testbeds with counterparts in Singapore, Poland, and Bulgaria, enabling:

• Domestic‑to‑overseas QKD for short‑haul links, ensuring end‑to‑end quantum‑secured channels within the region.
• Post‑Quantum Cryptography (PQC) trials for long‑haul segments, testing hybrid security models that combine QKD and PQC.
• Real‑world scenarios such as secure transmission of research data and protection of urban air mobility (UAM) communications.

These cross‑border experiments will assess whether Korean hardware can be deployed abroad and will help harmonize standards across participating nations.

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3. Future Hub – Pioneering the Next Generation

The future hub is a sandbox for cutting‑edge quantum communication concepts that are not yet ready for commercial deployment. Planned research areas include:

• Long‑distance wireless quantum cryptography, exploring free‑space QKD over kilometers without fiber.
• Multi‑point quantum entanglement distribution, enabling simultaneous secure links among multiple nodes.
• Advanced protocols that could underpin future quantum internet architectures.

By concentrating high‑risk, high‑reward experiments in a dedicated environment, the hub aims to generate proof‑of‑concept demonstrations that can later feed into the commercial and overseas hubs.

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4. Funding, Partnerships, and Outlook

The 2026 budget splits evenly between public and private contributions—3.75 billion won from the government and 3.65 billion won from industry partners. This public‑private model reflects South Korea’s broader strategy of treating quantum technologies as a strategic national priority, one of seven key technologies identified by the government.

The coordinated effort across three hubs creates a pipeline: early‑stage research in the future hub feeds into interoperability testing in the commercial hub, while the overseas hub validates global deployment potential. If successful, the program could position South Korea as a leading supplier of quantum‑secure communications equipment and services, while also strengthening its diplomatic ties through shared security infrastructure.

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Practical Takeaway

Stakeholders—ranging from quantum hardware manufacturers to telecom operators and security‑focused enterprises—should monitor the hub rollout timelines and engage early with the KT and SK Broadband consortia. Participation can provide access to shared test facilities, reduce R&D costs, and accelerate market entry for quantum‑enabled products both domestically and abroad.