South Korea plans a staged national post-quantum master plan
12 JULY 2023, SEOUL
South Korea announced a national post-quantum master plan on 12 July 2023, structured in stages. The plan calls for action plans in 2024, foundations by 2030, and full deployment by 2035. Sequencing the work this way lets groundwork precede the building of foundations, which in turn precedes deployment across government systems.
The 2030 foundations stage is the pivot. It focuses on the standards, infrastructure and preparatory work that deployment depends on, sitting between the early 2024 action plans and the final 2035 target. By carving out a dedicated foundations phase, the plan gives the country time to prepare rather than rushing straight from planning to deployment.
South Korea's timeline fits the international pattern. Its 2035 deployment target aligns with the horizon the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Japan use, and its staged structure resembles the risk-based sequencing other jurisdictions have adopted. That alignment helps Korean organizations that operate internationally plan a single coherent transition.
Why it matters. South Korea's master plan gives its public sector a clear, staged path to 2035, with a 2030 foundations milestone marking the halfway point. The alignment with other major jurisdictions means Korean organizations can plan against a timeline that matches their international peers. Agencies and suppliers can use the stages to pace their own cryptographic discovery and migration work.