[Editor's Note] The new year of 2023 has dawned amidst the global economic crisis. With the competition for industrial and technological hegemony becoming fiercer by the day, it is no exaggeration to say that the nation's survival depends on the development of next-generation technologies. At this critical time that will be the starting point for overcoming the crisis, we met with the newly inaugurated 25th president of the Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science, the birthplace of domestic electromagnetic technology and science, and talked to him.

The new chairman of the Yookjonggwan Society gave insightful opinions from an expert’s perspective on the society’s vision and operational direction, future prospects for technological development, and training of technology experts. Through him, we got a glimpse into the future of electromagnetic technology, extending beyond terrestrial infrastructure and into space.
■ Please introduce yourself.

He is currently a professor at the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Yonsei University and has recently been appointed as the 25th President of the Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science.

His research area is electromagnetic numerical analysis, and his main research interests include EMI/EMC, ultra-high frequency circuits, biosensors, and defense stealth technology.

He began his academic activities in earnest in 1999, and has been active in the EMC Technology Research Association, the Electromagnetic Security Research Association, etc. He has served the society to this day as the executive director of the English edition, the executive director of general affairs, etc.

■ Please give a brief introduction about the Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science.

The Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science was founded in 1989 and has grown into a leading academic society in the fields of electromagnetic waves and ICT. It currently has approximately 12,000 members and holds a summer and winter comprehensive academic conference every year with over 1,000 participants.

In addition, more than 20 research groups under the academy are actively working, and they are actively exchanging with experts from industry, academia, research institutes, government, and the military.

■ As the new president this year, you will be leading the society. How would you explain the direction and vision of the society’s operations?

There are many predictions that the economy will be difficult overall this year. So this year, I would like to focus on internal growth of the society and its members rather than external growth.

In particular, we plan to discover young researchers who are dedicated to academia and industry, and encourage and support their academic activities. We also plan to support and encourage the international activities of our members through various opportunities.

Recently, electromagnetic wave-related technologies have been making key contributions to the space and defense fields, so we plan to expand the scope of our society's expertise in these fields as well as in cyber-electronic warfare.

■ What are the major industry areas and agendas that the society will focus on in the new year of 2023?

As I mentioned briefly before, this year, I would like to further activate research and exchanges in the following areas: electromagnetic wave technology, stealth technology, high-power electromagnetic wave technology, electromagnetic wave security technology, and cyber-electromagnetic warfare technology that combines cyberspace and electromagnetic wave technology. In addition, I plan to look into whether the society is interested in and can contribute to the recently popular fields of space and 6G communications.

Electromagnetic technology is an infrastructure technology, so it is not easily visible. However, electromagnetic technology plays a role similar to the human body's neural network or blood vessels. Therefore, our society plans to actively contribute to the development of electromagnetic technology, which is the core of industrial development and national competitiveness, through △human resource development, △academic exchange, and △development of electromagnetic-related policies.

■ The importance of industries related to electromagnetic waves, such as wireless power transmission, connected mobility, and 5G solutions, is increasing year by year. What electromagnetic wave fields do you predict will be hot in 2023?

Predicting the future is not the domain of humans. Although it is the realm of the gods, if we look carefully, I think that various convergence technologies and services that incorporate electromagnetic wave technology will continue to emerge.

For example, in the 5G and 6G communications fields, technologies such as △integrated circuit and antenna technology and △intelligent surface technology are expected to receive a lot of attention.

In the defense sector, I think that multi-static radar, electromagnetic spectrum technology, satellite and drone-based SAR technology, and high-power electromagnetic wave technology will become more advanced. In particular, communication and networking technologies are very important for the success of low-orbit satellite projects, and I expect that there will be a lot of research and great development in this field.

■ As the aforementioned fields come to mind, I think EMI/EMC issues will also be discussed. I wonder what the current status of the training of electromagnetic experts to respond to various standards, certifications, and resistance designs is, and if there are any things to prepare for in the future.

The EMI/EMC field requires system-level knowledge and experience that goes beyond individual component-level technology, so a lot of time and effort is needed to train experts.

On the other hand, it is true that in Korea, the training and education of experts in this field have been considerably neglected. As part of the government's policy to support small and medium-sized enterprises, the 'EMC Technology Support Center' was established about 20 years ago, and it has now been operated for about 20 years under the name of the Electromagnetic Technology Institute.

Although this provides some support for EMC-related technologies for small and medium-sized businesses, it falls far short of systematic and organized training of advanced research and development personnel. I believe that in the future, the government, industry, and academia will need to make efforts and invest in training experts in the field of electromagnetic waves.

■ Please give a brief New Year’s greeting to e4ds news readers for 2023.

These days, it is really hard to find a media outlet that writes the truth. In these harsh times, I think e4ds news is an exemplary media outlet that is trying to fulfill its responsibility and duty as a media outlet. I hope that you will get accurate and up-to-date information in the electronics field through e4ds and that you will grow even more in 2023.

thank you