Kim Jae-kwan, the late first president of the Korea Institute of Standards and Sciences, a former professor of mechanical engineering at our university, was designated as a Korean science and technology merit (convergence and promotion field) in 2023 in recognition of his work in designing Korean industrialization with steel, automobile, and national standards. A dedication ceremony was held at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of May 27.

Former professor Kim Jae-kwan obtained his doctorate in engineering from the University of Technology Munich in Germany in 1961. After working for a West German steel company, he returned to Korea in 1966 and participated in the establishment of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). He designed the Pohang General Steelworks (currently POSCO) with 1.03 million tons of steelmaking capacity. In 1973, he was appointed as the first assistant secretary of heavy industry of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, contributing to the production of the first Korean-style automobile 'Pony' through the policy of 'fostering the unique model automobile industry'. Since then, the Korea Standards Research Institute has been established and a standard system essential for the precision industry has been established as the first director.

After resigning from public office, he was a professor of mechanical engineering at Incheon National University from 1981 to 1990 and devoted himself to fostering his younger students and died in 2017 at the age of 84.