Lee Joo-han, a senior researcher at the Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), has been appointed as the Science and Technology Research Secretary of the Presidential Office.
According to the science and technology sector on the 12th, the Presidential Office has confirmed this senior researcher's nomination and is proceeding with the relevant procedures. Regarding the appointment, this senior researcher noted to ChosunBiz, "I will do well. Please support me a lot."
This senior researcher graduated from the Department of Physics at Sogang University and obtained a Ph.D. in physics from King's College London. After working as a research scientist at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, he has continued his research activities at KBSI, serving as the head of the Large Research Facility Planning Research Group, among other roles. He also has experience as a review committee member for the conceptual design of the Ochang Synchrotron Project.
He has been actively involved not only in the research field but also in the science and technology policy area. As an advisory member of the Economic 2nd Subcommittee of the Presidential Committee on Policy Planning, he led discussions on the abolition of the project-based system (PBS) for government-funded research institutes. The PBS was a system established to allow government-funded research institutes to win national research and development (R&D) projects through competition, implemented since 1996.
This senior researcher has shown a consistent hardline stance regarding the issue of abolishing the PBS. When the Ministry of Science and ICT showed a cautious attitude towards the abolition of the PBS, he stated through social media, "Creating a new PBS would be a direct challenge to the government." He strongly criticized the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Council of Science & Technology (NST) by using expressions such as, "They are playing tricks," and, "If they get caught being bureaucratically cunning, there's going to be trouble."