Top 0.1% Among All Members
Over 10 Years of Experience and R&D Achievements
Vice President Song Leads Industry’s First 5G Modem Development
Executive Vice President Han Pioneers Next-Generation 3D DRAM Development
Kibong Song, Vice President and Head of the System LSI Research Lab at DSRA (Semiconductor Research Institute America) of Samsung Electronics Semiconductor (DS) Division, and Jinwoo Han, Executive Vice President of the DRAM TD Team at the Semiconductor Research Lab, Semiconductor Division, Samsung Electronics, have been selected as 2026 Fellows (Distinguished Members) of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest academic society in the fields of electrical, electronics, computers, and communications.
According to Samsung Electronics Newsroom on December 22, the IEEE Fellow is the highest honor awarded by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers to its members, with only the top 0.1% of all members eligible for this prestigious qualification. The IEEE Board of Directors selects Fellows each year under rigorous standards, targeting individuals who have accumulated more than 10 years of experience in electrical and electronic engineering and have contributed to industrial and societal advancement through outstanding research and development achievements in various fields such as communications and semiconductors.
Kibong Song, Vice President and Head of System LSI Research Lab at DSRA (Semiconductor Research Institute America) of Samsung Electronics Semiconductor (DS) Division. Samsung Electronics.
After working at several global big tech companies, Vice President Song joined Samsung Electronics Semiconductor Research Institute America, where he currently leads the System LSI Research Lab. He is spearheading the development of modem, connectivity, on-device AI, and system-on-chip (SoC) technologies. To date, he has published numerous research papers related to wireless communications, signal processing, and AI technologies for modem-RF systems, and holds more than 80 patents.
Song’s selection as an IEEE Fellow was largely due to his long-standing contributions to modem-RF system design and performance optimization in the cellular communications field. His achievements include leading the industry’s first 5G modem development, advancing 5G mmWave (millimeter-wave) transceiver technologies, and commercializing next-generation mobile communication technologies such as Satellite SOS, a non-terrestrial network (NTN) technology applied to Exynos Modem 5400 and Exynos 2500. These accomplishments were highly regarded in the selection process.
Jinwoo Han, Executive Vice President of the DRAM TD Team at the Semiconductor Research Lab, Semiconductor Division, Samsung Electronics. Samsung Electronics.
After working at NASA, Executive Vice President Han joined Samsung Electronics, where he has published over 200 patents and more than 160 SCI-level (prestigious academic journal) papers, building research achievements in various fields including memory, logic, and sensors. He was selected as a 2026 IEEE Fellow in recognition of his contributions to the development of next-generation 3D DRAM and his overall research accomplishments.
Han has been at the forefront of research on next-generation 3D DRAM, aiming to overcome the limitations of semiconductor miniaturization and exploring the potential of new memory architectures. His approach, which involves stacking DRAM cells vertically rather than horizontally to increase storage capacity per chip area, is gaining attention as a core technology for next-generation memory. At the Semiconductor Research Lab of Samsung Electronics DS Division, he leads the organization responsible for next-generation DRAM research, spearheading the development of DRAM with three-dimensional structures applied to memory cells.
Song stated, "In the era of 6G and physical AI, data generated by countless machines and sensors will interact with each other. In this environment, we aim to create new semiconductor technologies and products centered at the intersection of communications, computation, and sensing, and to lead future innovations."
Han also remarked, "Korea’s semiconductor industry has grown by focusing on competitiveness in general-purpose products and has established itself as a global leader. However, with the rapid changes in the semiconductor ecosystem due to global supply chain restructuring and technological hegemony competition, we are at a point where crisis and opportunity coexist."
He added, "As demand for customized specialty products continues to rise in the field, it is important for researchers to have the ability to understand and connect a wide range of related technologies horizontally, as well as to gain a deep understanding of product structure and hierarchical relationships vertically. Broadening our technological perspective and building an international network to foster a collaborative research ecosystem will be a significant advantage for future competitiveness."
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