Who We Are
The Korean Innovation Research Center (KIRC) is a new think tank in South Korea dedicated to advancing innovation, fostering economic growth, and improving the nation’s digital competitiveness. Founded by a group of professors from both Korea and elite global institutions, the Center aims to promote sound regulatory policies to accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship in Korea.
KIRC is overseen by a distinguished group of global investors, venture capitalists, and major company founders, and is committed to identifying key issues and formulating policy solutions for the Korean business, academic, and government communities. In particular, the KIRC will provide recommendations for how to increase Korea’s global competitiveness, promote domestic innovation, and cultivate home-grown entrepreneurship through sensible free-market policies.
KIRC is an independent, non-partisan think tank dedicated to promoting free-market principles, innovation, and competitiveness in Korea.
Steering Committee
Yongwook Paik
KAIST, Korea
Professor Paik is a tenured professor at the KAIST College of Business, located in Seoul, Korea. His research focuses on entrepreneurship, innovation, and strategy and how they are interrelated with institutions and public policies.
Daniel Sokol
USC, USA
D. Daniel Sokol is the Carolyn Craig Franklin Chair in Law and a Professor of Law and Business at the USC Gould School of Law and Marshall School of Business (marketing department). He holds a courtesy appointment in the Department of Economics.
Dongwon Lee
HKUST, Hong Kong
Professor Lee Dongwon is an assistant Professor of the Department of Information Systems, Business Statistics and Operations Management (#ISOM), and a Lee Heng Fellow of HKUST Business School.
Dokyun (DK) Lee
Boston U, USA
Dokyun ”DK” Lee, is a Kelli Questrom Chair Associate Professor of Information Systems and Computing & Data Science School at Boston University. He studies the responsible application, development, and impact}of AI in business with a focus on unstructured data.
Yong Lim
SNU, Korea
Yong is an Associate Professor at Seoul National University (“SNU”), School of Law, who specializes in competition and governance in digital markets. As a leading contributor to law and policy for data and AI governance in Korea, Yong’s work includes articles and publications on digital platforms and competition, data ownership and portability, and data privacy.
The Korean Innovation Research Center 