Remarks made at inauguration ceremony Tuesday
Im Jae-man, the newly appointed president of the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements (KRIHS), pledged in his first remarks upon taking office to "comprehensively research policies on the efficient use, development and preservation of national territory, so that all citizens can enjoy equal opportunities and build a future of shared growth and prosperity."
Im made the pledge at his inauguration ceremony Tuesday morning at the KRIHS headquarters in Sejong, adding that he would "faithfully support the government — entrusted with power by the people in this era of popular sovereignty — in carrying out its national mandate and delivering results."
To that end, he proposed pursuing five areas of work: data-driven research to advance AI and geospatial information technology; research to improve citizens' quality of life; research on strengthening housing rights and stabilizing the housing market; research on regional communities built around opportunity and shared prosperity; and field-centered, practical policy research.
He also stressed the importance of on-the-ground research, saying the institute must "not remain confined to desk research, but treat vivid field experience and the voices of citizens as vital evidence."
Im further called on researchers to go beyond responding to the government's short-term issues and become an institution that proactively designs the nation's future, urging greater research autonomy and the pursuit of policy research that citizens can tangibly feel.
The Economy, Humanities and Social Research Council board appointed Im on Monday. His term runs through June 30, 2029.
Im graduated from Yonsei University with a degree in business administration after attending Daeseong High School in Daejeon. He has served as civilian chairman of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) reform committee, a senior researcher at the Korea Real Estate Research Institute, and president of the Korea Real Estate Analysis Association. He also served as a policy adviser on basic housing when President Lee Jae Myung was governor of Gyeonggi Province in 2021.
smh@heraldcorp.com
