A science journal has recognized the work of South Korean scientists, and this has also led to growing global interest in the nation's biotechnology and IT sectors.

Nature Biotechnology recently covered science in South Korea in a special edition late last year, "Innovative Life and Biotechnology of Developing Nations."

It featured South Korea's development of new drugs, beginning with a type B hepatitis vaccine made by LG Life and Science in 1991.

The magazine predicted the country will soon lead the world market for medicine and pharmaceuticals, thanks to the groundbreaking extraction of stem cells from a cloned human embryo last year by Professor Hwang Woo-seok.

Some 40 pharmaceutical companies nationwide have secured around one hundred-30 materials for new drugs currently in phase one and two, expecting mass production of new drugs to the global market soon.

In the IT sector, companies including Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics have made rapid progress in applied science such as mobile multimedia content, digital broadcasting and home networking.