Kwon Oh-hyun, architect of Samsung's semiconductor dominance, named KAIST board chairman

Kwon Oh-hyun, the former Samsung Electronics chairman credited with building the company's dominant edge in semiconductors, has been named the new board chairman of KAIST.

KAIST said Monday it elected Kwon — formerly chairman and chief executive of Samsung Electronics and chairman of the Orange Planet startup foundation — at its 298th extraordinary board meeting. His term runs from the date of approval by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT through Aug. 19, 2029, when his director term expires.

Kwon earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Seoul National University, a master's degree in electrical engineering from KAIST in 1977, and a doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1985.

He joined Samsung in 1985 as a researcher at Samsung Semiconductor Research Institute in the United States and led the development of the world's first 64-megabit DRAM in 1992, laying the groundwork for Samsung Electronics' semiconductor supremacy strategy.

He subsequently served as president of Samsung Electronics' semiconductor division, vice chairman and chief executive, and chairman and chief executive concurrently heading the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, contributing to the global competitiveness of Korea's semiconductor industry.

After stepping back from frontline management, he served as chairman of the Korea Invention Promotion Association and as the seventh board chairman of Seoul National University. Since last September, he has chaired the long-term strategy committee of the Ministry of Planning and Budget — the first business executive to hold the post. He has also supported youth entrepreneurship as chairman of the Orange Planet startup foundation since 2021.

His ties to KAIST run deep. In 2018, he became the first alumnus to receive an honorary doctorate in business administration from the institution, and he helped establish the "Kwon Oh-hyun Assistant Professor" program, which supports creative and ambitious early-career researchers.