DAEJEON — Park Sung-kyun, named the 14th president of the Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), took office on the 22nd after an inauguration ceremony at the institute's Daedeok headquarters.
Park laid out a vision of developing KBSI into a platform that connects and leads the nation's large-scale research infrastructure. "We will make the Korea Light Source accelerator (KLS) the central axis of change at KBSI, and organically link advanced research equipment, analytical science, AI and research data to support innovation in national research and development," Park said.
Park set out four priorities: the successful construction of the Korea Light Source accelerator and preparations for its operation, stronger competitiveness in analytical science, innovation in research methods based on AI and data, and building an organization that supports the growth of staff and their immersion in research.
"Centered on the Korea Light Source accelerator, we will open new horizons in analytical science, innovate research methods with AI and data, and have KBSI be the first to build the future of South Korea's research infrastructure," Park said. "We will firmly protect what must be protected and boldly change what must be changed."
Park graduated from the physics department of Pusan National University in 1990 and earned a master's degree from its graduate school, followed by a doctorate in physics from the University of Arizona in the United States in 2001. Park went on to serve as a senior researcher at KBSI before becoming a professor in the physics department at Pusan National University in 2008. Park also served as chair of the promotion committee for the Ministry of Science and ICT's multipurpose synchrotron radiation accelerator project and as vice president of the Korean Physical Society.
Park's three-year term runs from Sept. 22, 2026, to Sept. 21, 2029.
