The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on May 27 that it has appointed Kim Hyunseok, former CEO of Samsung Electronics, as the new head of the Strategic Planning Group, which supports industrial and energy R&D investment and innovation policies. In addition, a team of four private sector experts has been formed as investment managers.
The Strategic Planning Group is an organization that supports the ministry by overseeing the development of strategies and investment directions for industrial and energy R&D, mid- to long-term technology innovation strategies, and performance management systems. Since its establishment in 2010, it has served as an innovation think tank connecting the government, private sector, and research sites.
Kim, the newly appointed head, is an engineer by training and served as CEO of Samsung Electronics, overseeing technological innovation and global business. He is regarded as an expert with a deep understanding of the industrial field and a strategic perspective. The ministry expects that the group's role as a bridge between government R&D policy and the needs of businesses will be further strengthened. This is the first time since Hwang Changgyu, former president of Samsung Electronics, was appointed as the first head of the group in 2010 that a former CEO from the private sector will lead the Strategic Planning Group.
Additionally, Han Jongseok, former head of the Industrial Technology Innovation Division at the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology, has been newly appointed as Innovation Policy MD, and Kang Byungmo, former head of the Corporate Cooperation Division at the Korea Electronics Technology Institute, has been newly appointed as Open Innovation MD. Lim Youngmok, Strategic Project MD, and Lee Wonyong, Energy MD, have been reappointed in recognition of their previous achievements. The terms for both the head and MDs are two years, with the possibility of one reappointment.
Meanwhile, the ministry has decided to establish a new 'Industrial AI MD' position to oversee AI-based industrial transformation and will proceed with the selection process, including an open recruitment. This move reflects the rapidly expanding role of AI across industries such as AI factories, AI semiconductors, and autonomous driving. The new position will function as a control tower to systematically support the design and execution of strategies tailored to the needs of each industry.
Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Dukgeun stated, "In the midst of fierce competition for technological supremacy, our R&D requires planning based on field demand, continuous innovation, and agile strategies that respond to global technological changes." He added, "I hope that, under Kim's leadership, the Strategic Planning Group will serve as a strategic hub connecting companies and the field, leveraging its expertise, network, and insight."
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