Former Samsung Electronics President Kim Hyun-suk, who led the consumer electronics institutional sector and contributed to the company's growth as the global TV market leader, has been appointed as the head of the government's research and development (R&D) strategy in the industry and energy sectors.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 27th that it has appointed Kim Hyun-suk, former president of Samsung Electronics, as the new Director General of the 'R&D Strategy Planning Division.'
The R&D Strategy Planning Division is an organization that oversees the establishment of strategies and investment directions for government R&D in the industry and energy sectors, as well as the design of the related performance management system. It was established in 2010.
The new Director General Kim Hyun-suk, an engineering expert, oversaw technological innovation and global business at Samsung Electronics. He is regarded as a professional with a good understanding of the industrial field and a strategic perspective.
Director General Kim will play a bridging role in effectively connecting government R&D policies with corporations.
It is the first time since the first Director General Hwang Chang-kyu, former president of Samsung Electronics, in 2010 that a corporate CEO has become the head of the strategy planning division.
Minister Ahn Duk-geun noted, "Under fierce technological hegemony competition, our R&D needs planning based on field demand, continuous innovation, and agile strategies responsive to global technological changes," and added, "I ask that the strategy planning division, led by Kim, serves as a strategic hub connecting corporations and the field based on professionalism, networks, and insights. In particular, I hope it becomes a core pillar for systematic investment in and dissemination of artificial intelligence (AI)."