'Super Gap' Pioneer Oh Hyun Kwon, Former Samsung Electronics Chairman, Appointed as KAIST Board Chairman
Following Chairman of Seoul National University Board, Now Chairman of KAIST Board
KAIST Graduate and Engineer Who Led the Semiconductor Industry
Pioneer of the World’s First 64Mb DRAM Development
Oh Hyun Kwon, the former Chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics who pioneered the "super gap" myth in the company's semiconductor business, has been appointed as the new chairman of KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology).
KAIST announced that at the 298th emergency board meeting held on September 21, Oh Hyun Kwon, former Chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics and Chairman of Orange Planet Foundation, was appointed as the new chairman. His term will begin from the date approved by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, and continue until August 19, 2029, when the term of the current board expires.
Chairman Kwon graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in electrical engineering and earned his master's degree in electrical engineering from KAIST in 1977. In 1985, he obtained a PhD in electrical engineering from Stanford University in the United States.
He joined Samsung Semiconductor Research Institute in the United States as a researcher in 1985, building his expertise in the semiconductor field. In 1992, he led the world’s first development of a 64Mb DRAM, laying the foundation for Samsung Electronics' super-gap strategy.
He served as the president of the Semiconductor Business Unit, and later as vice chairman and CEO, and also as chairman and CEO of the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, solidifying his role as a key member of the top management team. After retiring, he served as Chairman of the Korea Invention Promotion Association and as the 7th Chairman of the Board at Seoul National University.
Since September last year, he has been serving as the chairman of the Mid- to Long-term Strategy Committee of the Ministry of Planning and Budget, making him the first person with a business background to hold the post. Since 2021, as chairman of the Orange Planet Foundation, he has been contributing to nurturing young entrepreneurs.
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Kwon has also maintained a longstanding relationship with KAIST. In 2018, he became the first alumnus to receive an honorary doctorate in business administration from KAIST and contributed to the establishment of the "Kwon Oh Hyun Assistant Professor" system to support creative and enterprising young researchers.
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