27-05-2025
Ex-Samsung CEO named new head of govt. R&D strategy division for industry, energy
Kim Hyun-suk, former executive of South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co., has been appointed as the new head of the government's research and development strategy division for industry and energy sectors, the industry ministry said Tuesday.
Kim will lead the R&D strategy planning division under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, which is in charge of devising strategies for investment and innovation of various industries and the energy sector, according to ministry officials.
The R&D division has been allocated 5.7 trillion won ($4.2 billion) in budget this year.
After joining Samsung Electronics as an engineer, Kim had served as the head of the company's display and consumer electronics, as well as a senior adviser on future technologies.
"Kim is recognized as an expert with deep understanding of the industrial field and strategic insight," the ministry said.
"We expect him to strengthen the bridge between the government's R&D policies and the corporate sector."
Kim's appointment marks the first time since 2010 that a former corporate CEO has been tapped to lead the industry ministry's R&D strategy planning division.
In 2010, former Samsung Electronics President Hwang Chang-gyu was named the inaugural head of the division. (Yonhap)
