First Female Director Appointed at the National Science Museum as Eunyoung Lee Takes Office

"Making the National Science Museum a Place Every Generation Wants to Revisit"

Expansion of Hands-on Exhibitions, Adapting to a Super-Aged Society, and Presenting a Centennial Vision

For the first time since its opening, the National Science Museum has appointed a female director. Eunyoung Lee, the newly appointed director who has extensive experience in research and development (R&D) policy and performance management at the Ministry of Science and ICT, has unveiled a blueprint to innovate the museum as a platform connecting science and the public.

The National Science Museum announced on July 21 that Eunyoung Lee has taken office as the 47th director.

Eunyoung Lee, Director of the National Science Museum. Courtesy of the Ministry of Science and ICT

Director Lee passed the 43rd Civil Service Exam, graduated from Seoul National University, and earned a master's degree in public administration from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in the UK. She has built her expertise in science and technology policy and R&D planning by serving in various positions, including being the first woman promoted to director-level at the Ministry of Science and ICT, and as head of the Convergent Technology Division, Future Technology Division, Software Industry Division, Performance Evaluation Policy Division, and Research Outcomes Innovation Office.

At the inauguration ceremony held that day, Director Lee stated, "In line with the changing times, I will transform the National Science Museum into a platform that connects science and the public, making it a place that every generation wishes to revisit."

She outlined three core tasks to achieve these goals: expanding visitor-participatory experiences, preparing for a super-aged society and the museum's 100th anniversary, and fostering a communication-centered organizational culture.

First, the museum plans to expand hands-on exhibitions and educational programs where visitors can directly touch, operate, and learn scientific principles through trial and error, and outstanding programs will be shared with other science museums.

Furthermore, the focus will not be limited to quantitative growth, such as reaching 1 million annual visitors, but will also establish a new role for the museum to respond to demographic changes. At the same time, the museum will pursue convergence with various fields such as art and culture to prepare a mid- to long-term vision for its centennial anniversary.

In addition, Director Lee announced plans to foster an organizational culture where employees' creative ideas can be realized through collaboration, resulting in effective policies and outcomes, thereby leading qualitative innovation at the museum.

Director Lee said, "We will gather wisdom with our staff so that the public can easily and enjoyably engage with scientific technology, which is built on the sweat and challenges of countless researchers. We will do our utmost so that the National Science Museum can nurture future scientific talents and grow into a globally renowned and beloved institution."

After the inauguration ceremony, Director Lee toured the main exhibition halls of the museum, spent time communicating with staff, and officially began her tenure.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.