G.S. Lee, from KSTAR to ITER to Government

"The ITER community congratulates Vice-Minister Lee on this wonderful news, and wishes him every success. We look forward to his continued strong leadership in fusion and other leading science and technology advancements," wrote the ITER Director-General, Bernard Bigot, as he communicated the news inside of ITER.

Gyung Su Lee is well known in the fusion community for 30 years of unwavering commitment to the development of fusion energy. As President of the National Fusion Research Institute of Korea (NFRI) from 2008 to 2011, he led the development of Korea's superconducting fusion research tokamak KSTAR. 

He has been closely associated with the ITER Project since 2007, first as Director-General of ITER Korea, then as Chairman of the ITER Management Advisory Committee, Vice Chair of the ITER Council, and finally Deputy Director-General and Chief Operating Officer of the ITER Organization. He has also served as a member of the International Fusion Research Council of the International Atomic Energy Agency, including as Chair.

Since leaving ITER in 2020, Mr Lee has held increasingly prestigious positions in the Korean Government, most recently serving as Chairman of the Special Committee on Science and Technology Innovation of the Democratic Party of Korea. In his new capacity, he will lead the Science and Technology Innovation Division at MSIT. According to news reports, this means he will help to set the direction for national R&D investment in the "digital new deal," achieving carbon neutrality, and overcoming the current COVID-19 crisis.

"Gyung-Su Lee has devoted decades of his professional life toward advancing the cause of fusion energy and the ITER Project," stated Bernard Bigot. "His appointment is a very positive signal for Korea's continuing strong support for the ITER Project."