Delays in Science and IT Leadership Appointments After December 3 Martial Law and Administration Change
KAIST Faces Nearly a Year of 'Lame Duck' Status
Heavy Responsibilities Await New KT CEO
One year has passed since the December 3, 2024 martial law incident, but delays in appointments in the science and IT sectors have led to a 'lame duck' phenomenon. As a result, there is a growing call to quickly reestablish leadership and move beyond the aftermath of martial law. This is because, in order for Korea to become one of the top three countries in artificial intelligence (AI) by utilizing the hard-won 260,000 Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs), another crucial 'stepping stone'-timely appointments-is urgently needed.
According to the scientific community on December 3, KAIST, the flagship institution representing the Lee Jaemyung administration's policy of fostering science and technology institutes, has been experiencing a 'lame duck' period for nearly ten months. After the term of President Lee Kwanghyung ended in February, the process to appoint his successor began, but since the launch of the Lee Jaemyung administration, the situation has stalled completely.
President Lee, Professor Kim Joungho of the Department of Electrical Engineering, and former UNIST President Lee Yonghoon entered the final selection process after being recommended by faculty members and the presidential search committee, but there has been no news about the appointment of a new president. The agenda for appointing a new president is not even included in the upcoming KAIST board meeting scheduled for the 11th.
As KAIST, a symbol of science and engineering, has drifted under an 'interim system' for nearly a year, the unresolved 'muzzling' incident during the KAIST commencement ceremony attended by former President Yoon Suk-yeol remains unaddressed. Within the scientific community, it is widely believed that the appointment of a new president will not happen this year. The graduation ceremony scheduled for next February will be held under a lame duck situation for the second consecutive year. One member of the scientific community pointed out, "There seems to be no will to appoint a new president at KAIST." Many also believe that the Lee Jaemyung administration's initiative to foster an AI college should proceed in tandem with the appointment of a new president.
On February 16, 2024, at the 2024 commencement ceremony of KAIST attended by President Yoon Suk-yeol, a graduate stood up to protest demanding the restoration of R&D budgets and was restrained.
While the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States, considered a competitor by KAIST, continues to advance in fields such as biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and quantum technology, KAIST is being held back by government-related risks. For this reason, the faculty council at KAIST has begun gathering opinions to urge the swift appointment of the next president.
Park Sugyeong, Chair of the KAIST Faculty Council, said, "There is a growing concern within the university about further delays in the appointment of the president." Park also argued, "The terms of the board members who will elect the president are also coming to an end, so the appointment process needs to be expedited."
The situation is similar at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), which was established with the goal of producing Nobel laureates, and at several government-funded research institutes under the Ministry of Science and ICT. Former IBS President Noh Doyoung remained in office for an additional year after his term ended, but recently resigned and returned to his original institution, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST). Vacant leadership positions at institutions such as the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine and the Korea Brain Research Institute also need to be filled. Next year, there is a high likelihood of leadership vacancies at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute and the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology as well.
Some observers note that, in the case of the science sector, the upgrade of the Ministry of Science and ICT to a deputy prime minister-level ministry has at least allowed for relatively faster appointments. However, merely filling the positions is not enough. The head of a government-funded research institute who was appointed just before martial law last year commented, "With urgent investments needed in the AI era, if the appointment process for the institute head had been delayed, it could have been disastrous."
The leadership issue has even spread to KT, which sits at the boundary between the private and public sectors. Kim Youngsub, CEO of KT, decided not to seek another term, taking responsibility for hacking and personal data breach incidents, and the process of selecting the next CEO is underway. However, there are calls for an appointment that meets the expectations of both the public and shareholders. There is a demand that KT's board members, who will decide on the new CEO, must not exclude talent suitable for the AI era based on political considerations.
The recently popular drama "Kim Manager at a Major Corporation with a House in Seoul" is set against the backdrop of KT. The fact that KT, which should be leading the great transformation in the AI era, has become associated with security incidents and is now further highlighted through the drama, underscores the need for strong leadership to drive renewal and technological innovation. KT also suffered an early elimination in the national AI selection process promoted by the Ministry of Science and ICT, damaging its reputation.
An Jeong-sang, adjunct professor at Chung-Ang University, emphasized, "Regardless of internal or external candidates, someone with the management skills and qualifications suitable for the AI era must become the CEO of KT." The argument is that, as KT possesses the national backbone network and exerts a decisive influence on the development of AI in Korea, an appropriate appointment is essential.
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