Abstract:Over the past 50 years, the development of public scientific research institute funded by the South Korean government has played an important role in the development of South Korea's science, technology and economy. By starting with the history, historical achievements and current situation of the public research institutes, this paper analyzes the characteristics of Korea’s public innovation system from the technological catch-up period to the technologically advanced stage. The research result shows that South Korea pays close attention to basic research development, university-industry cooperation and knowledge sharing, and related policies have been well implemented. The development experience of Korean public research institutions has provided valuable reference for China.