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

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

IP firm's new Midlands base will be located inside the tallest office space in UK's ‘second city’
Practitioners at four firms across Asia and Europe share the do’s and don’ts of mindful networking ahead of the INTA Annual Meeting
Brand Action explains why the IP community can be a force for good in the world as thousands of professionals prepare to head to London for INTA’s Annual Meeting
The firm, which has also hired a senior trademark leader to lead operations in the region, believes greater China to be one of the most important IP jurisdictions
Attorneys at Gibson Dunn share why plaintiffs’ growing reliance on DMCA anti-circumvention claims in AI scraping cases exposes a critical vulnerability
Tom Carver, who spent the last 18 months sailing the Mediterranean, tells Managing IP why he’s ready to return to land
US law firms highlight litigation profitability and client demand as driving forces behind a boom in lateral hires in the life sciences sector
The move marks the latest step in Temu’s push to protect brands’ intellectual property by collaborating with industry groups and enforcement agencies. Managing IP learns about a rapidly scaling strategy and two success stories
A counterfeiting crackdown targeting fake FIFA World Cup merchandise and new partner hires by CMS, HGF and Winston Strawn were also among the top talking points
Law firms need to accept the hard truth: talent migration isn't personal; it's business as usual
Gift this article