The Proton Engineering Frontier Project (PEFP), approved and launched by the Korean government in July 2002, includes a 100 MeV proton linear accelerator development and programs for its utilization and application. The first phase of the project, running from 2002 to 2005, was the design of a 100MeV proton linear accelerator and a part of development of a 20 MeV linac. This consists of a 50 keV proton injector, a 3 MeV radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ), and a 20 MeV drift tube linac (DTL). The 50 keV injector and 3MeV RFQ has been installed and tested, and the 20 MeV DTL is being assembled and tuned for beam tests. At the same time, the utilization programs using the proton beam have been planned, and some are now under way. The status and progress of the project are reported in detail.