On April 22nd, the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy(KFE) held the inaguration ceremony for President Yeong Kook Oh, who was newly appointed as the 2nd President of KFE.

In his inaugural speech, President Yeong Kook Oh emphasized that ‘Driven by the demand for fusion energy as a means to achieve carbon neutrality and enhance energy security, there is a rapid global increase in efforts to accelerate the commercialization of fusion energy and to engage private entities in this sector.’ and that ‘Korea still has a relatively modest R&D program for fusion energy realization, and it is now essential to improve the development roadmap for DEMO to reflect changes in both domestic and international fusion energy environment.’ 

In the light of the rapid changes such as the construction of large-scale superconducting fusion devices and the growth of private fusion energy companies overseas, President Oh highlighted ‘Uniqueness, Innovation, and Connectivity are crucial values for overcoming the current challenges Korean fusion research is encountering.’

President Oh further emphasized his commitment to “develop and execute  comprehensive strategies to accelerate the development of K-DEMO’ and pivoting the research focus from KSTAR and ITER to a focus more  aligned with K-DEMO R&D. Additionally, he proposed to expeditiously complete the preliminary physical designs of K-DEMO and to advance the construction plan for DENO in parallel with the ITER construction’ 

 

Specific strategies to pursue these objectives include promoting the verification of core technologies utilizing KSTAR and other fusion devices for technical innovation in K-DEMO design. Furthermore, efforts will be made to enhance public-private partnerships and to strengthen international cooperation. 

In the case of KSTAR, President Oh stressed that KSTAR will be uniquely positioned through strategic direction setting and performance improvements, such as advancing simulations using AI and virtual KSTAR, to certify it as a pioneering device in verifying core plasma technology for K-DEMO design.

Additionally, strategies will be developed to best utilize the delays and decreased operational period of ITER in accordance with its new baseline, and efforts will be made to resolve post-ITER supply industrial voids via public-private partnership projects.

He also announced plans for the Institute of Plasma Technology to expand its role as a specialized institute in plasma research, seeking further opportunities to engage in fusion energy R&D.

Regarding management, President Oh stated that solutions to address the shortage of personnel will include the efficient operation of rehiring of retired personnel, the early adoption of excellent researcher policies, the promotion of personnel circulation and a wider variety of position choices to overcome mannerism. Furthermore, he spoke of forming a more flexible organization and expanding public engagement to foster a better understanding and more support for fusion energy research.

President Yeong Kook Oh has a PhD in nuclear engineering from Seoul National University. After joining the KFE in 2005, and has served key positions including the Head of the Fusion Engineering Research Division and the vice president of the National Fusion Research Institute.

President Oh’s term is for 3 years-from April 22nd 2024 to April 21st 2027.