KIPO welcomes new commissioner

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Cookies Settings

KIPO welcomes new commissioner

President Myung-bak Lee has appointed a new Commissioner, Ho-won Kim, to head the Korea Intellectual Property Office. Kim’s term began on May 1

According to Eun Kyul Park, deputy director of the multilateral affairs division, Kim stresses the importance of intellectual property as a source of global competitiveness.

He also says that one of his goals is to increase the timeliness and quality of patent examinations in South Korea.

Kim has served in high-level positions in the Prime Minister’s Office as well as the Ministry of Knowledge Economy. His previous roles in the Korean government include deputy minister for regulatory reform, standing commissioner of the Korea Trade Commission, and director general of the Industrial Technology Bureau.

Most recently, he was the deputy minister for national agenda in the Prime Minister’s Office.

Kim has a PhD in public administration from Chung-Ang University, and master’s degrees from Seoul National University and the University of California, San Diego. He received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Pusan National University.

Look for Managing IP’s interview with Commissioner Kim in our June issue.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

The firm hopes its recent Düsseldorf expansion and UK partner hire will strengthen its offering as it looks to an integrated model to boost UPC capabilities
Stephenson Harwood’s trademark prosecution push and patent ambitions could complement Taylor Wessing’s remaining but depleted European IP strength following its UK arm’s departure
Gerben IP’s first woman partner, Sophie Edbrooke, explains how boutique life allowed her to broaden her expertise, take on leadership responsibilities and carve out a route to the top
INTA has a right to protect its Annual Meeting, but making it harder for others to hold similar events risks leaving delegates with a bigger travel bill
The firm says it hopes to capture patent litigation work in Texas by arming itself with experienced trial lawyers with venue expertise
Ken Iijima's arrival continues a trend of ex-Pizzeys practitioners joining RnB IP, whose co-founder says independent ownership and a lucrative compensation model have become attractive in a consolidating market
McDermott Will & Schulte lawyers explore why the UPC is seeing rapid adoption by medtech for fast-moving disputes, while pharma and biotech take a cautious, selective approach over revocation risks
IP firms may be growing more comfortable with external capital, but uncertainty over who could ultimately own the business is complicating the investment pitch
The former Western District of Texas judge addresses perceptions of his courtroom, reveals what comes next as he returns to practice at A&O Shearman and explains why marathon running is ‘cathartic’
International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition says it has been blocked from hosting its annual event in the city, ending a long tradition of holding the gathering in the days leading up to INTA’s flagship event
Gift this article