KENTECH's Clock Stopped Again: "Urgent Need for a President with Ability and Vision"

2 Years and 7 Months of Acting Presidency After Yoon Eui-jun’s Resignation
First Appointment Rejected by Board, All Candidates Fail in Second Round
Selection Process Back to the Start: “A Visionary Leader Needed for University’s Growth”

With the appointment of the second president of Korea University of Energy Science and Technology (KENTECH) falling through yet again, concerns and debate around the prolonged leadership vacuum and the future direction of the presidential selection process are mounting. In particular, there is growing speculation since even a leading candidate—who had been widely discussed both inside and outside the university—failed to make the shortlist, but no concrete evaluation results or reasons for the eliminations have been released.

A panorama of Korea Energy Engineering University.

Presidential Appointment Process Returns to Square One

According to interviews conducted by The Asia Business Daily on August 18 and statements from KENTECH officials, the Presidential Candidate Recommendation Committee carried out presentations and interview assessments for four candidates last month, but ultimately decided that “no candidate was qualified.”

Reportedly, the interviewees comprised two internal and two external figures. However, as all candidates failed to pass the committee stage, not even a single finalist was recommended to the Board of Directors.

Since the resignation of inaugural President Yoon Eui-jun in December 2023, the acting presidency has now lasted more than two years and seven months. This marks the second time the KENTECH presidential appointment process has hit an impasse.

During the first nomination process, the final candidates reached the board, but none garnered the majority required, and as a result, the appointment failed. Subsequently, a new committee was formed, and a fresh recruitment drive was attempted—yet this time, the process did not even reach the board stage.

It has been reported that the failure of Candidate A—who was considered the strongest contender among the four interviewees—came as a surprise even within the university.

A local source in Naju commented, “Some of the candidates interviewed had already undergone evaluation in the previous process, so internally, people believed only one candidate was truly competitive. Some say that, since it would not be procedurally appropriate to recommend only one candidate to the board, it was determined that 'no candidate was qualified.'”

However, this source added, “This is only what I’ve heard from people around me, not based on any direct information about the committee’s reasoning or decision-making background. As the review details are strictly confidential, no one can accurately explain the reason.”

While not officially confirmed, this underscores how little explanation for the presidential selection process has actually been provided to the public this time.

It also remains unconfirmed whether there were any concrete reasons for disqualification so serious that they would render Candidate A and others unable to serve as president. KENTECH has maintained that, because the committee’s proceedings are confidential, it is difficult to disclose individual candidate evaluations or grounds for their rejection. As a result, only the outcome—“no candidate qualified”—has been announced, while the review process itself remains unknown, fueling various speculations about the selection process.

Some believe that factors such as the new political landscape in the Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Unified Metropolitan City or current trends in central government appointments may have influenced the outcome. However, so far, there is no objective evidence that either the political community or the government has been directly involved in the appointment or rejection of any specific candidate.

Possibility of Recruiting External Candidates for Next President Increases

KENTECH now plans to reconvene the committee to discuss future approaches for appointing the next president. While the university may again opt for open recruitment, consideration is also reportedly being given to an “active search” approach, in which suitable individuals are directly sought out and encouraged to apply.

Given that all major internal candidates were rejected in the latest round, there are increasing expectations in the local community that the next appointment may favor external candidates.

A KENTECH official stated, “As far as I know, no specific new candidates have emerged or been finalized yet. The process is essentially starting over from a blank slate.”

With the entire appointment process being reset, there is also rising sentiment that the next president should not be selected solely based on outstanding research credentials.

KENTECH is intimately linked to national energy policy and relies on collaboration with state-run energy firms, including Korea Electric Power Corporation. Therefore, the next president must not only understand government policy and the energy industry, but also be able to represent the interests of the university and the region to the central government.

There are also opinions that someone with a career as a senior official in climate or energy-related government ministries, or experience leading an energy public enterprise such as Korea Electric Power Corporation—thereby possessing networks in both government and industry—should be considered for recruitment.

A local representative stated, “KENTECH is not a typical university. If a former senior government official responsible for climate or energy policy or a leader from an energy public enterprise joins, the university will have strong backing in negotiations with the government.”

However, some point out that simply selecting someone with strong central government connections will not suffice.

Since KENTECH is based in Bitgaram Innovation City, Naju, and serves as a core hub connecting Korea Electric Power Corporation, energy public enterprises, and local businesses and universities, the next president should be able to integrate university growth and regional development into a unified strategic vision.

In the local community, there is a view that KENTECH’s research outputs and talent pool must be connected to the growth of local businesses, start-ups, attracting investment, creating jobs, and ultimately boosting the competitiveness of the energy industry in Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Unified Metropolitan City.

One official commented, “It’s important that the new president has connections to central government and authority, but ultimately, someone who understands KENTECH’s role and purpose in the region must be selected. The university needs a president who looks beyond Seoul and can forge real progress by linking Korea Electric Power Corporation, energy public enterprises, and the regional industry for tangible regional growth.”

The source continued, “KENTECH is not only a pillar of the national energy policy but also must drive the region’s future. Instead of simply filling the position, the process should focus on finding a candidate who is able to negotiate with the central government, understands the energy industry, and has the determination to grow with the local community.”

Another local figure noted, “Having failed twice to appoint a president, it’s time to reflect on why the right person hasn’t been found rather than just restarting the search. The next president should be selected not only to grow the university itself, but to help foster the region’s energy industry and economy through KENTECH.”

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