This paper analyzes strategic traits of the National R&D Program and examines how effectively the R&D investment has been distributed. The evaluation on National R&D Program is executed using data of National Science and Technology Council‘s National R&D Program Investigation & Analysis on its sub-programs executed from 2002 to 2006. Furthermore, the evaluation is executed reflecting government’s investment plan on National R&D Program including total roadmap, details pointed out by various evaluations including inspection of the administration and survey by experts related to science and technology policies.

This evaluation is focused on whether National R&D Program is executing according to social needs and reflecting national strategy. Since social needs and national strategies are rather changeable than fixed, strategic aims and characteristics of National R&D Program should be changeable depending on the social context.

As results of evaluation, it is found that current National R&D Program serves to strengthen R&D ability of domestic research organizations such as universities and research institutions financed by government through increasing investment. Moreover, the government has tried to raise the efficiency of investment on R&D programs through suggesting general aims and establishing a Science and Technology Innovation Center. However, investment on R&D programs is turned out to be unstructured and Science and Technology Innovation Center could not properly execute the role of mediation among ministries and programs. It is worried that National R&D Program did not meet social needs and national strategic purpose because it concentrates only on putting technologies to practical use rather than social needs and foundational technology. Therefore, the whole National R&D Program strategic traits should be improved in such way fulfilling social needs and national strategies.