Kwon Oh-hyun Named New Chair of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Board
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- 2026-09-21 17:08:45
- Updated
- 2026-09-21 17:08:45
[Financial News] Kwon Oh-hyun, former Samsung Electronics CEO and chairman and chair of the Orange Planet Foundation, has been appointed the new chair of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Board.
KAIST said on the 21st that its Board appointed Kwon as chair at its 298th extraordinary meeting held in Seoul. After the term of former chair Kim Myung-ja ended in late June, board member Cha Ki-cheol, CEO of InBody, had been serving as acting chair.
Kwon earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Seoul National University, a master's degree in electrical engineering from KAIST, and a doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford University. He joined Samsung in 1985 as a researcher at the Samsung Semiconductor Research Institute in the United States. In 1992, he led the development of the world's first 64Mb DRAM, laying the foundation for Samsung Electronics' "super-gap strategy." He later served as president of Samsung Electronics' semiconductor division, vice chairman and CEO, and chairman and head of the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology. An engineer-turned professional manager, he helped elevate South Korea's semiconductor industry to the world's leading position.
After stepping down from frontline management, he served as president of the Korea Invention Promotion Association and as the seventh chair of the Seoul National University Board. Since September 2025, he has also chaired the Mid- to Long-term Strategy Committee at the Ministry of Planning and Budget, formerly the Ministry of Economy and Finance, becoming the first person from the business sector to hold the post. Since 2021, he has served as chair of the Orange Planet Foundation, which supports young entrepreneurs.
Kwon's term as chair runs from the date of approval by the deputy prime minister and minister of science and ICT through August 19, 2029, when his term as a board member expires.
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