Kim Dong-myung, president of LG Energy Solution, along with three other figures from academia and industry, will receive the Proud Alumni Award from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).
The KAIST Alumni Association noted on the 13th that it has selected recipients for the “KAIST Proud Alumni Award.” The award ceremony will be held during the 2025 KAIST Alumni Association New Year Gathering on the 17th at 5 p.m. at the L Tower in Yangjae, Seoul.
This year's recipients include Kim Dong-myung, president of LG Energy Solution, Kim Yi-hwan, president of the University of Science and Technology (UST), Jeong Han, CEO of i3system, and Myung Hyun, a professor at the KAIST Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. The KAIST Proud Alumni Award is given to alumni who have contributed to national and social development or have achieved notable academic success and community service, thus enhancing the school's honor. Since its establishment in 1992, 126 individuals have received this award.
Kim Dong-myung, CEO, obtained both a master's and a doctoral degree from the KAIST Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He is credited with contributing to the enhancement of the national competitiveness of the domestic battery industry.
Kim Yi-hwan received his master's degree in mechanical engineering from KAIST. He is recognized for establishing a leading foundation for national science and technology policy and strategy, enhancing the national research and development (R&D) system, and advancing the training of science and technology personnel. Notably, he played a pivotal role in the establishment of UST and the Korea Science Academy (KSA), significantly contributing to the training and utilization of science and technology talent.
Jeong Han, CEO, obtained both a master's and a doctoral degree from the KAIST Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. A first-generation researcher in the field of infrared detectors, he has been developing military-grade detectors for over 30 years. In 1998, he founded i3system, a specialized company in infrared detectors, achieving over 80% supply of infrared detectors used by the South Korean military and exporting to more than 20 countries.
Myung Hyun received his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from the KAIST Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Based on deep reinforcement learning of artificial intelligence, he developed a system called “DreamWaQ” and the robot “Dreamwalker,” which won first place in the quadruped robot autonomous walking competition (QRC) held at the 2023 International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA). He was recognized for developing independent autonomous walking technology that perceives the robot's surrounding environment and finds the optimal path, contributing to enhancing the competitiveness of the domestic robotics industry.
Lee Yoon-tae, the 27th president of the KAIST Alumni Association, said, “KAIST alumni have been the driving force behind the significant growth of advanced science and technology and the industry, and I am proud of the KAIST alumni award recipients who lead science and technology on the global stage beyond Korea. I sincerely thank them for their efforts and achievements over the years.”