KAIST's faculty council selected Ryu Seok-young (류석영), a professor in the School of Computing, and Bae Chung-sik (배충식), a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, as its top and second-ranked candidates for president, respectively.

On April 2, the council's president candidate recommendation committee held a joint debate for three candidates: Jo Yong-hoon, Bae and Ryu. KAIST's faculty council then held an electronic vote to recommend candidates from April 3 through 6 p.m. on April 8. Of the council's 700 members, 586, or 83.7 percent, took part.

Under the council's bylaws, voting was held in two rounds: a first-round vote to select 1 person, and a second-round vote to select 1 of the remaining 2 excluding the first-round winner. The vote elected Ryu as the top choice and Bae as the second choice.

The council plans to support Ryu as the top-ranked recommended candidate and Bae as the second-ranked recommended candidate in the board-led process to appoint the next president. They will undergo review by the board's president candidate selection committee along with candidates identified by the president candidate search committee and individual self-nominated applicants.

The board will then appoint the 18th KAIST president from among multiple candidates recommended by the president candidate selection committee.