Kim Dong-won, President of Jeonbuk National University, and Others Receive 'KAIST Proud Alumni Award'

(From left) Kim Dong-won, President of Jeonbuk National University; Yoo Tae-kyung, CEO of Lumens; Lee Nak-gyu, President of Korea Institute of Industrial Technology; Koo Hyun-mo, CEO of KT. Photo by KAIST

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The KAIST Alumni Association has selected and announced four recipients of the '2020 KAIST Proud Alumni' award.

According to the KAIST Alumni Association on the 3rd, this year's list of awardees includes ▲Dongwon Kim, President of Jeonbuk National University ▲Taekyung Yoo, CEO of Lumens ▲Nakgyu Lee, President of Korea Institute of Industrial Technology ▲Hyunmo Koo, CEO of KT.

Dongwon Kim, President of Jeonbuk National University (Master's in Industrial and Systems Engineering, Class of '82), was recognized for his contributions to improving regional industry technology and nurturing professional talent, demonstrating leadership as an educational administrator and contributing to strengthening the competitiveness of both the university and the region.

Taekyung Yoo, CEO of Lumens (Master's in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Class of '83; PhD Class of '85), is regarded as a first-generation LED expert in Korea who led the technological revolution related to LEDs, thereby enhancing national competitiveness and advancing science and technology.

Nakgyu Lee, President of Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (Master's in Mechanical Engineering, Class of '85; PhD Class of '87), secured achievements through conducting research and development of core production technologies leading the national industry, focusing on on-site technical support activities to ensure that developed technologies can be applied to actual production in companies, thereby contributing to the enhancement of national manufacturing competitiveness.

Hyunmo Koo, CEO of KT (Master's in Management Science, Class of '85; PhD Class of '93), was recognized for leading the world's first commercialization of 5G and spearheading the development of the domestic native cloud industry, thus leading innovation in Korea's information and communication technology (ICT) sector.

Meanwhile, the Proud Alumni Award is given to alumni who have contributed to the development of industrial technology or have brought honor to their alma mater through academic achievements and social service. Established in 1992, this year marks its 29th anniversary, and a total of 107 alumni have received the award to date.

Notable past recipients include Sungchul Shin, current KAIST President (2010), Kinam Kim, Vice Chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics (2012), Jungju Kim, CEO of Nexon (2007), and Byung-gyu Jang, Chairman of Krafton (2006).

Jeong Chil-hee, President of the Alumni Association, said, "The Proud Alumni Award is given to alumni who have contributed to national and social development and have elevated the honor of their alma mater," adding, "Just looking at the list of past recipients, one can feel the prestige of KAIST."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.