By Ian Werther in News — 13 Mar 2026

KAIST President to Stay Until Successor Appointed to Ensure Stability

KAIST said on the 13th that President Lee will remain in his post until a new president is appointed, in order to keep university operations stable while the search for a successor continues. The board requested that he continue serving to minimize disruption to teaching and research during the transition.

Lee indicated that he understands the concerns of campus members and the public as the presidential selection process has been delayed. He had signaled a willingness to resign on moral grounds, but governance changes and ongoing legal discussions about the appointment system raised fears of a leadership gap, prompting him to accept the board’s request.

Geese and ducks at the lake in KAIST campus — Representative image for context; not directly related to the specific event in this article. License: CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

The decision is framed as a move to maintain stable administration and reduce confusion across the university’s academic and research activities during a period of institutional uncertainty.

Lee also said the uncertainty could extend beyond KAIST to the broader national science and technology policy, including the government’s AI three-pillar strategy in which KAIST plays a key role. He stressed that the university’s stability matters for Korea’s strategic research agenda.

He pledged to devote himself to steady operation and to strengthening Korea’s science and technology competitiveness amid global tech competition, aiming to ensure KAIST’s ongoing innovation and public trust.

African-American students holding signs and marching to support Provost Taylor to be appointed University of Texas at Arlington interim president when President Amacher resigned. — Representative image for context; not directly related to the specific event in this article. License: CC BY 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

KAIST, based in Daejeon, is Korea’s premier national research university, founded in 1971 to advance science and technology. It is a leading center for artificial intelligence, robotics, and engineering, and it maintains extensive links with industry and government policy.

For U.S. readers, the episode highlights how leadership at Korea’s top academic institutions can influence bilateral scientific collaboration, AI policy development, and supply-chain resilience in advanced technologies. KAIST’s stability affects joint research programs, talent pipelines, and cross-border innovation efforts critical to U.S.-Korea science and technology ties.

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