Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology Holds Inauguration Ceremony for 12th President Lee Heeseung

The Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) announced that it held the inauguration ceremony for its 12th president, Lee Heeseung, at the main auditorium of the KIOST Busan headquarters (located in Yeongdo-gu, Busan) on May 27, marking the start of his four-year term.

Inauguration Ceremony of Lee Heeseung as the 12th Director of KIOST.

The ceremony was attended by Cho Seunghwan, National Assembly member-elect for Jung-gu and Yeongdo-gu, Busan; Kim Seongbeom, Director General for Marine Policy at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries; Jeong Daegyo, Chairman of KIOST; Hong Giyong, Director of the Ship and Offshore Plant Research Institute; Shin Hyeongcheol, Director of the Korea Polar Research Institute; as well as heads of organizations from the DongSam Innovation District Marine Cluster in Yeongdo-gu and all KIOST staff, who celebrated Lee Heeseung's inauguration.

Lee Heeseung, the new president, graduated from the Department of Chemistry at Seoul National University (1988) and obtained his master's and doctoral degrees in organic chemistry from the same university. Since joining the Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (now KIOST) in 2000, he has held major positions such as Director of the Marine Biotechnology Research Center, Dean of KIOST School, and Vice President.

Notably, since 2009, he has been at the forefront of nurturing marine talent as a professor at the University of Science and Technology (UST), and has also been actively engaged in external activities, serving as President of the Korean Society of Marine Biotechnology and as a member of the Busan Science and Technology Promotion Committee.

President Lee Heeseung stated, "As the new president of a leading research institute in the field of marine science and technology in Korea, I feel a great sense of responsibility and mission. Based on the excellent research achievements and infrastructure accumulated over the past 50 years, I will do my utmost to make KIOST the world's top marine research institute."