The Korea Digital Authentication Association said Yeom Heung-yeol (염흥열), an emeritus professor in the Department of Information Security at Soonchunhyang University, took office as its new chairman as of June 1.

Yeom plans to push key tasks including strengthening the reflection of South Korea's views in international standardisation bodies such as ITU and ISO, supporting member companies' technological competitiveness and global expansion, and expanding cooperation networks with related institutions at home and abroad.

"It is time to formalise South Korea's digital identity and authentication technologies and infrastructure as international standards," Yeom said. "As the digital economy crosses borders in an era when agentic AI becomes part of everyday life, we will strengthen cooperation with international bodies such as ITU and ISO and concentrate the association's capabilities so domestic technologies can take root as global standards," he added.

Yeom was elected chair of ITU-T SG17 in 2016, the first in Asia, and won re-election in 2022, serving two terms. After his term ended, he has been working as vice chair of ITU-T TSAG.

"Digital authentication is core infrastructure for an AI-based digital economy era and the foundation supporting digital trust between countries," Yeom said. "The association will reflect user needs and serve as a bridge between industry and government, and we will devote efforts so member companies can leap forward as leading players on the global stage," he added.