Sunhak Cho

Sunhak Cho is the director general for science and technology policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea. He is responsible for coordinating 27 ministries and agencies in order to draft and implement the National Science and Technology Master Plan that lays out the goals and direction of the national innovation strategy. He also spearheads interagency initiatives in national innovation, including strategic technologies, global R&D, regional innovation, S&T workforce development, and disruptive technologies.

Prior to the current position, Sunhak was the director general for national R&D investment—reviewing national R&D programs and allocating budgets across 27 ministries; the director general for national R&D evaluation—conducting performance reviews on national R&D programs; and the director general for space policy and nuclear technology—managing national space and nuclear programs, as well as projects in big science such as particle accelerators and nuclear fusion. He was also the task force lead for quantum technology initiatives.

With over 27 years of experience in various positions within the Korean government, he has been in charge of national R&D programs, defense programs, transportation, energy & infrastructure projects, and STEM programs leveraging information and communication technologies. Sunhak has worked extensively with international partners, especially during his position at the Korean Embassy in the United States as a science counselor, coordinating scientific efforts between Korea and the U.S., encompassing basic and applied research, space, nuclear policies, and science entrepreneurships. He also has private sector experience in private equity, venture capital, semiconductors, and automotive industries.

He received his MPA from Harvard University and engineering degrees from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and from University of California at Berkeley.