The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) held a ceremony marking its 60th anniversary at Johnson Hall on its main campus in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday.
The event, themed "KIST 60 Years: Opening the Future of Science and Technology in Korea," drew approximately 400 attendees including Ha Jung-woo, Senior Presidential Secretary for AI Future Planning, members of the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, diplomatic envoys, key figures in the science and technology community, and KIST alumni.
"If the past 60 years of KIST represented a period of accumulation that led Korea's science and technology development, the next 60 years must be a time of returning those achievements back to society," KIST President Oh Sang-rok said in his commemorative address. "Beyond the glorious record of leading Korea's advancement to developed-nation status, we will write a new narrative of hope by solving the challenges facing our nation and society."
The event also featured a special congratulatory message from the late Choi Hyung-sup, KIST's founding director, recreated using AI technology.
The ceremony was designed to report 60 years of achievements to the public and signal KIST's commitment to returning to its founding spirit and giving back the fruits of future scientific research to society. KIST also published a special commemorative edition through the international journal Nature, sharing its research achievements and future vision since its establishment.
A unveiling ceremony for a commemorative sculpture followed the main event. "The sculpture symbolically captures KIST's 60-year history and our future vision toward greater advancement," KIST said. "We will further strengthen our role as a think tank for national science and technology policy and a global research hub, while accelerating innovative research and development for a sustainable future."