KAIST Chief to Remain Acting as Board Seeks New President
KAIST says its president, Lee Kwang-hyung, will continue to serve as acting chief until a new president is appointed, at the board’s request. Lee had signaled his intention to resign earlier this month.
The board met to select a successor from three candidates—Lee Kwang-hyung, Kim Jeong-ho, a KAIST electrical and computer engineering professor, and Yoo Yong-hoon, former president of UNIST. In the vote, no candidate secured a majority, so no appointment was made.
Lee told the university he understood the concerns caused by the delays in the presidential selection and accepted the board’s request to stay on through the transition to ensure stability amid ongoing governance discussions and potential legal changes.
He warned that continued uncertainty could burden teaching and research operations and could affect KAIST’s role in national science and technology policy, including the government’s AI strategy known as the AI 3강, in which KAIST is a key participant.
Lee pledged to fulfill his responsibilities and help KAIST contribute to Korea’s scientific and technological competitiveness during the transition, while maintaining public trust in the university’s leadership.
KAIST is Korea’s leading science and technology university, based in Daejeon. UNIST, whose former president was a candidate in the current election, is located in Ulsan. The outcome reflects governance dynamics at Korea’s top research institutions amid broader policy shifts in artificial intelligence and national R&D strategy.
For U.S. readers, the episode matters because KAIST is a major partner in international research, AI, and advanced technology development. Leadership continuity at KAIST can affect cross-border collaborations, joint research funding, talent pipelines, and the pace of Korea’s participation in global technology supply chains and security-relevant innovation.
As Korea pursues its AI and science policy priorities, the stability and direction of its flagship institutions influence how reliably foreign partners and companies can plan joint programs, access talent, and align on standards and commercialization strategies with Korean researchers and industries.