KICT 한국건설기술연구원

On November 26, the National Research Council of Science and Technology through its 219th interim board of directors appointed Professor Park Sun-kyu(Ph.D.) of Sungkyunkwan University as the new president of the KICT, conferring on him a certificate of appointment.

President Park Sun-kyu’s term is for three years, from November 27, 2024, to November 26, 2027.

And on November 28, 2024, the KICT held an inauguration ceremony for its 16th president, Dr. Park Sun-kyu, in the 30th Anniversary Hall at its Ilsan headquarters.

President Park Sun-kyu announced “a global research institute leading the ecosystem of the future construction industry” as his vision for the KICT’s advancement, vowing to establish the KICT as a global leader in smart construction.

In his inaugural address, the new president promised to lead the digitalization of the construction industry and the acquisition of national strategic technologies through R&D innovation. He also stressed his intent to commercialize the products of convergence and smart source technology R&D to expand the base for collaboration with SMBs and mid-sized companies. The new president also vowed to strengthen the KICT's international cooperation system to see the institute’s K-smart construction technology lead the global construction industry.

President Park earned his bachelor’s and master's degrees in civil engineering at Sungkyunkwan University, before earning his doctorate in structural engineering at the Technical University of Berlin in 1994. Staying on in Germany, he took up a post in structural research at DYWIDAG. Since 1995, he has been a professor at Sungkyunkwan University, where he honed and shared his civil engineering expertise. Within Sungkyunkwan University he has headed a number of bodies, including the BK21 U-City Construction Personnel Development Project Group, the Career Development Center, and the Natural Sciences Campus.

President Park is a full member of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea and served as the 8th chairman of the Korea Institute for Structural Maintenance and Inspection and as vice chairman of the Korean Society of Civil Engineers. He was recognized with an academic award by the Korea Institute for Structural Maintenance and Inspection in 2008, and by the Korean Society of Civil Engineers in 2016. In 2022 he received the prestigious Songsan Grand Prize for his achievements in civil engineering.