KAIST President Remains in Post as Board Seeks New Leader Amid Stalemate

KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung has withdrawn his resignation and will remain in office until a successor is appointed, the university said on the 13th. The move aims to keep the university’s operations stable and minimize disruption to teaching and research while a new president is chosen.

The decision reflects pressure from the KAIST board to prevent leadership vacuum during delays in the presidential search and amid ongoing discussions about governance reforms. Lee said he understands the concern among campus members and the public who care about KAIST, and he acknowledged the burden of the period of uncertainty.

Lee stressed that temporarily stepping down could have broader implications for KAIST’s role in national science and technology policy, including the government’s AI strategy. He said he would act with moral responsibility, but accepted the board’s request to continue leading the university in the interim to preserve stability and momentum.

KAIST’s term for the current president ended in February of last year. The university’s Presidential Candidate Selection Committee had recommended three candidates in March of that year: Lee Kwang-hyung, Kim Jeong-ho, a former professor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Yi Yong-hoon, former president of Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST).

The board held an extraordinary meeting last month to approve a next president, but none of the candidates received a majority, resulting in the first-ever failed nomination in KAIST’s 55-year history. Following the rejection, Lee announced his intention to resign on the 16th.

KAIST, located in Daejeon, is South Korea’s leading science and engineering university and a central player in the country’s AI research and development. The leadership contest and governance questions at KAIST matter for U.S. readers because KAIST collaborates closely with American universities and tech firms, contributes to joint AI and cybersecurity initiatives, and influences Korea’s participation in global supply chains and tech policy. Stability at KAIST can affect ongoing research partnerships, talent pipelines, and policy alignment on AI and other strategic technologies.