Dr. Jin-Oh Kim, Founder and CEO of “Robots and Design Co., Ltd.” in South Korea, was appointed as the 11th president of the Korea Association of Robot Industry(KAR) on February 28, 2024.

He is a well-recognized leader in robotics and factory automation, having worked in the industry for over 33 years as a scientist, educator, author, and entrepreneur. Early in his career, he worked as a senior leader in Secom Intelligent System Lab, Japan, and as the Director of the robot business in Samsung Electronics. Since 1999 he has been a professor at the School of Robotics at Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Korea. He has also served as a visiting associate professor of computer science at Stanford University. From 2003 to 2008 he was the national director of the steering committee of robotics in Korea.

Over the years, he has worked with many companies and lead the development of more than 400 robots and systems in fields from semiconductors to the dental/bio/medical industry. Recognized as a leader in the robotics, he also published two books: “Robots, the Society and Economy” and “Defense Robotics”. He is now working on two more books: “Robot Design Methodology” and “Future with Robots” based on his industrial experience and knowledge.__He earned his BS and MS degree in mechanical engineering from Seoul National University, and his Ph.D. degree in Robotics from Carnegie Melon University. His doctoral study was “Task-Based Design of Robot Manipulators”.

In 2008, Dr. Kim received the Robot Industry of America’s (RIA) highest award: the Joseph Engelberger Award for Leadership. In 2019, he received “Korea Award” in recognition of his contribution in advancement of Science/ IT field.