12 Notable alumni of KAIST

Cha Meeyoung, sometimes known as Mia, is a scientific director of the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy. Previous to Max Planck, she was an associate professor at KAIST in the School of Computing and a chief investigator in the Pioneer Research Center for Mathematical and Computational Sciences at the Institute for Basic Science. Her research focuses on network...

Kim So-jung is a South Korean singer. She is known as a finalist (Top 11) of Mnet's Superstar K2. She is one of the few in the industry who did not follow the trainee-debut system. She released her first EP, Herrah's on May 21, 2012.

Rim Jihoon is a visiting professor of management practice in the Department of Management and Organizations at New York University Stern School of Business. He is a former CEO of Kakao (KRX:035720), a South Korean technology company known for its mobile messenger Kakao Talk. His appointment as CEO at 34 years of age made him the youngest CEO among South...

Omran Sharaf is an Emirati engineer, space scientist, and government official currently serving as Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology Affairs in the United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Sharaf was notably the project manager of the Emirates Mars Mission. He is currently a board member at the UAE Space Agency and formerly the chairperson for the...

Choi Ki-young, also known as Kiyoung Choi, is a South Korean professor of electrical engineering at Seoul National University who served as Minister of Science and ICT under President Moon Jae-in from 2019 to 2021.

Yi So-yeon is a South Korean astronaut and biotechnologist who became the first South Korean citizen to fly in space.

Songyee Yoon is a venture capitalist, the founder and managing partner of Principal Venture Partners (PVP), an AI-focused investment firm established in 2024, and since 2025 a member of the board of directors of HP Inc.

Oh Hyun-min is a South Korean television personality. He is known for being a finalist for the reality show, The Genius: Black Garnet and formerly a cast member in The Genius: Grand Final.

Kwak Jaesik is a South Korean novelist, science fiction writer and chemist. His pen name is Gerecter. He is best known for stories of ordinary people with plot twists of science fiction or fantasy elements. Some of his work has been adapted to television drama and comics.

Yoon So-hee is a South Korean actress.

Kim Jung-ju, also known as Jay Kim, was a South Korean businessman, investor, and founder of Korea's largest gaming company, Nexon. He was the chairman and CEO of NXC Corporation, the holding company of Nexon, and a partner at Collaborative Fund, a New York-based venture capital firm.