[Anchor]

China has built Asia's first fourth-generation circular synchrotron radiation facility, dubbed a "dream microscope," and has begun putting it into active use. It may be called a microscope, but the facility spans an area equivalent to 20 soccer fields.

Beijing Correspondent Han Sang-woo visited the site, becoming the first South Korean journalist to do so.

[Reporter]

It takes about 10 minutes by bus just to make a full circuit around the perimeter of this massive circular facility.

Located in the Huairou Science City in Beijing, China, this is a fourth-generation circular synchrotron radiation facility.

The accelerator's perimeter alone measures 1.36 kilometers, making it as large as 20 soccer fields.

It functions as a mega-microscope that uses electromagnetic waves, generated while accelerating electrons to near the speed of light, to analyze the structure and properties of ultra-fine materials.

By observing molecular protein structures, it can help develop new drugs like Tamiflu and detect microscopic defects in semiconductor manufacturing processes below 10 nanometers.

It is a state-of-the-art scientific facility capable of observing matter down to the atomic level, which can be utilized to develop new substances and materials.

While South Korea's fourth-generation "linear" synchrotron radiation facility can accommodate up to 3 research beamlines, China's fourth-generation "circular" facility can install up to 90, vastly expanding its research scope and utility.

[Lu Wei / Director, China's 4th-Generation Circular Synchrotron Facility: It is one of the world's first highest-brightness high-energy light sources. This machine is designed to be a machine for the world. Not just for China, not just for Asia. It is for outstanding scientists who want to do top-tier research.]

The Chinese government invested 5 billion yuan—approximately 1.1 trillion won—to build the facility in just two years, outpacing South Korea by three years, as South Korea aims for completion in 2029.

Following over six months of trial operations, China's first fourth-generation circular synchrotron radiation facility in Asia is set to be fully utilized for various research projects.

It has already received proposals from around 1,700 institutions across more than 20 countries worldwide to conduct research using the facility.

The Chinese government is pouring 116.9 billion yuan—about 25.6 trillion won—solely into basic research.

This amount is nearly 10 times South Korea's basic research budget of 2.74 trillion won.

(Video Journalist: Choi Deok-hyun, Design: Seo Hyun-jung)