CEOs and speakers pose for a group photo during a summer forum, jointly hosted by the Korea Standards Association and 11 certification and education-related academies and organizations at Hotel Lotte in Jeju on July 27-30. (Photo: KSA)

Korea Standards Association held the Summer CEO Forum at Hotel Lotte in Jeju City on July 27-30.

The featured speakers at the forum included Professor Oh Joon of KAIST, who developed Hubo, a robot which won the top award at the World Disaster Robot Conference last year in the U.S. He spoke on the future of robotic technology development in Korea. Also spoking at the event were Professor Kim Hyun-cheol of Seoul National University’s International Graduate School and Chairman Rha Kun of the Hongik University International Design Expert Graduate School and chairman of the Korea Design Management Society.

KSA hosted the summer forum jointly with 11 certification and education related academies and organizations.

As usual, KSA’s open ground for standards, quality certification and education related technology certification and industrial education related academies tried to suggest a new paradigm for “industrial Korea” and discuss the joint cooperative means among industry. academy and research sectors for the first time early this year.

In particular, this year the exchange issue came in second in the schedule. Some 30 people from 11 member organizations and academies took place, including Korea Design Management Academy; Korea Small Certification Academy; Korea Hotel Resort Academy; related academies and Korea Electricity Research Institute; Jeonju University; and the International Electric Motor Expo Organizing Committee. They discussed what global standards should be vis—vis climate change. 

Korean Standards Association is one of the premier standardization association in Korea. It was established 1962. 

This organization mainly represents the experts from the Korea's major industries. The primary aim of the organization is to encourage industrial development in Korea by conducting research. 

This will help Korea to emerge as one of the leaders in the world. For the last 50 years, the organization has actively contributed to the industrial development of Korea. 

KSA also hosts many resource events where participants get to know about the latest developments. In 2011 KSA organized the Global Innovation Conference in partnership with Korean Institute of Plant Engineering and it was attended by large number of visitors.

Chairman Baek Soo-hyun of KSA said in his keynote speech that with the arrival of the age of smart fusion and mixture, the manufacturing and service industries have been experiencing an expansion of industry and enterprise. Therefore, the organizations and academic circles, too, should go beyond their boundaries and provide suggestions for policies and standards, along with guidelines for training professional manpower required by the new age. 

Launched in 1962, the KS (Korean Industrial Standards) certification system has been operated for as long as Korea has been industrialized. Just as Korea's industrial structure develops into a highly sophisticated and knowledge-intensive industry in the 21st century, KS certification is also preparing for the future. 

KSA now aims to reflect evolving technology and emerging trends in the KS certification and to widen the scope of the service sectors of the KS certification.

As KSA accelerates KS certification's dissemination worldwide, standards and audit criteria are increasingly aligned with international standards. Such transformation of KS certification will further promote citizens' benefits and lead the continuous development of Korea's industries.

Chairman Baek Soo-hyun took office as the 23rd chairman & CEO of KSA on Sept. 15, 2014. Previously, he successively served as a president of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers (KIEE), and vice president of Korea Electric Association (KEA). He has also been greatly contributing to the academic world as a Chair-Professor, Division of Electronics and Electrical Engineering at the Dongguk University. 

He has played a significant role in standard fields as a board member of International Electrotechnical Commission. 

IEKSA’s General Meeting of Members consists of KSA member companies and the regular general meeting convenes in March every year. Meeting agendas, dates and venues are notified to member companies seven days prior to the meeting and a meeting starts with more than 1/5 of the registered members in attendance. The General Meeting of Members is KSA’s top decision-making body with the authority to change KSA articles of association, appoint or dismiss the chairman and part-time executives, and approve budgets and settlements. Major issues decided at general meetings are reported to and approved by the Ministry of Knowledge and Economy to enhance KSA’s operational transparency.