"Securing AI Computing Resources to Become a Leading R&D Institution"

New KISTI Director Lee Sik Expresses Vision at Inauguration Ceremony
Commitment to Early Deployment of National Supercomputer No. 6

Lee Sik, the newly appointed president of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI), presented a vision to transform the institute into a leading organization in research and development (R&D) by expanding world-class artificial intelligence (AI) computing resources.

Lee Sik, the 9th president of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information, is delivering his inaugural speech at the inauguration ceremony on the 27th. Photo by KISTI

At the inauguration ceremony held on the 27th at the main auditorium in Daejeon, President Lee emphasized the need to become an "institution leading R&D innovation based on AI and HPC."

As his management philosophy, President Lee proposed ▲expanding world-class AI computing resources and securing research capabilities, ▲leaping forward as KISTI in the global arena through openness and cooperation, and ▲establishing a rapid support system as a facilitator for solving national and social issues. He also expressed his ambition to make KISTI the center of research innovation.

President Lee stressed that he would take the lead in creating future growth engines for the institute centered on three major game-changing technologies: AI-semiconductors, advanced bio, and quantum. He stated that through these efforts, he aims to contribute to strengthening national competitiveness and industrial development.

Lee Sik earned a bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Seoul National University and master's and doctoral degrees in Chemistry from Pohang University of Science and Technology. Since joining KISTI in 2000, he has contributed to the advancement of national science and technology by serving as head of the National Supercomputing Center and director of external cooperation. He has also been recognized for his expertise through various roles, including as a private member of the National High-Performance Computing Committee and a private member of the Ministry of Science and ICT’s Bio-Health Data Platform Council.

While serving as head of the National Supercomputing Center, President Lee was entrusted with the important task of completing the introduction of the National Supercomputer No. 6, which had not been finalized. KISTI is expected to support R&D for domestic scientists and companies through HPC such as supercomputers, but the recent situation is not promising. In the recently announced 'Top500' supercomputer rankings, the National Supercomputer No. 5, Nurion, has fallen to 92nd place.

The National Supercomputer No. 6 project recently received a budget increase from 292.9 billion KRW to 448.3 billion KRW, aiming for operation in the first half of 2026. The government’s goal is to rank within the top 10 globally, but whether this target can be achieved remains uncertain.

Meanwhile, on the same day, Professor Park Seon-gyu of Sungkyunkwan University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering was inaugurated as president of the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology. Park Seon-gyu, the new president of the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, earned a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering and a master's degree in Structural Engineering from Sungkyunkwan University, and a doctoral degree in Structural Engineering from the Technical University of Berlin, Germany. Since joining Sungkyunkwan University in 1995, he has served as vice president, dean of student affairs, and director of the Student Talent Development Center. He has also held positions such as director of the Korea Construction Policy Research Institute, outside director of Unison HKR, outside director of SK Ecoplant, and vice president of the Korean Society of Civil Engineers.