Yoo Sang-im, a professor of materials engineering at Seoul National University, has been nominated to be the next minister of science and ICT, the presidential office announced Thursday.
The 65-year-old professor, renowned for his research in the areas of superconductors and magnetic materials, vowed to leverage his expertise to ensure that Korea keeps pace with the rapid changes of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“I feel an immense responsibility and a sense of calling as I am nominated to be the minister of science and ICT, a field that has long served as the foundation of Korea’s development,” Yoo said during a brief meeting with reporters at the presidential office on Thursday. “I will make the utmost effort to address the various issues accumulated within the science ministry and to respond to the rapidly changing environment of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, ensuring that Korea can lead on the global stage,” the minister nominee added.
The professor has led numerous academic societies, including the Korean Society of Superconductivity and Cryogenics and the Korean Ceramic Society.
Since earning his bachelor’s degree at Seoul National University in 1982 and his master’s in inorganic materials engineering from the same 한국을 institution in 1984, he went on to obtain his doctorate in materials science and engineering from Iowa State University in 1992.
Yoo’s nomination coincides with President Yoon Suk Yeol’s appointment of three other vice ministers to key positions, including the presidential advisory council for unification, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and the Office for Government Policy Coordination (OPC).
This move is seen as the Yoon administration’s effort to inject new energy into the government by bringing in fresh talent, as it nears the midpoint of its five-year term.
