Enterprise Organization of National Program of Excellence in Software

SKKU’s College of Computing and Informatics is nurturing global talent in the fields of SW and AI across the entire student body through the National Center of Excellence in SW program, which is part of the talent development initiative in SW and AI promoted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP). Since 2015, SKKU has been part of this program for 10 years, and is currently focusing its second-phase support on the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the School of Convergence within the College of Computing and Informatics.

Under the slogan High Tech, High Touch, the College of Computing and Informatics proudly showcases the innovation and global competitiveness of three outstanding students who represent the fields of SW and AI: Junwoo Park (Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Class of ’22), Dongwan Kim (Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Class of ’19), and Sangho Kim (School of Convergence, AI Convergence Major, Class of ’21). They are active in a wide range of fields, including SW-based AI services, startups, quantum computing, and science and technology diplomacy.

Junwoo Park (Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Class of 22)

"Code is the language of innovation, algorithms are the power that drives that language"

| Please give a brief self-introduction.

Hello, I am Junwoo Park, a senior (Class of ’22) in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University. I am strongly attracted to creating positive social value through AI services based on software technology and am currently preparing to start a company. I also work as an undergraduate researcher in an AI lab, striving to develop innovative technologies. I always keep the motto “Difficulties faced are the foundation for growth” in mind, actively treating difficult problems as opportunities for growth rather than avoiding them.

| As the lead of the Google Developer Groups for university students, please introduce the AI-technology startup you founded.

Currently, I am preparing to start a company while serving as the lead of the Google Developer Groups (GDG) at Sungkyunkwan University. It began with conversations with former GDG lead Geonhee Lee (Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Class of ’22) about how we could contribute to the school and student community using the technology we have. Because we both care deeply about our school, we united around the goal of contributing to its development with the latest technology.

We are developing a platform that combines AI with Sungkyunkwan University’s mascots, ‘Myeongryuni’ and ‘Yuljeoni’ characters. The goal is to create a service that helps students adapt to campus life more enjoyably and connect more closely with the university. Geonhee Lee is the CEO, and I am the CTO, aiming to launch the startup by the end of this year.

▲ GDG Activity

| I would like to hear about your ICT Award for the AI platform for the hearing impaired.

This project brought great honor and fulfillment to me and my team. It initially started with participation in the Google Solution Challenge hosted by Google. While searching for ideas that could contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, we focused on the risks faced by hearing-impaired drivers under the goal of 'solving problems of marginalized people through technology.'

During driving, there are many important sounds that signal emergencies, such as ambulance sirens or other vehicles' horns. Hearing-impaired drivers find it difficult to quickly perceive these sounds. The service we developed, 'VisualVroom', aimed to solve this problem. The core idea was to convert sounds into images for analysis. Using two microphones built into a smartphone, we recorded surrounding sounds in real time and converted the audio data into spectrogram images showing frequency characteristics. We then combined these images and fed them into a ViT (Vision Transformer) model, which performs excellently in image classification. The ViT model analyzed these images based on learned patterns to accurately identify the types of sounds (sirens, horns, etc.) as well as the direction (left/right) of the sound source through subtle differences captured by the two microphones.

The analyzed results were sent to a smartwatch worn by the driver, delivering different vibration patterns depending on the direction, and immediate intuitive visual alerts appeared on the smartphone screen. Additionally, to facilitate smooth communication with passengers during driving, we integrated AI to convert speech to text and display real-time sign language images, enhancing both safety and convenience.

However, we did not win in the Google Solution Challenge. Though we faced the bitterness of failure, we did not stop there. Based on feedback from people around us, we critically analyzed what was lacking and devoted more time to improving the service from the user’s perspective. While there were exhausting moments, we encouraged each other and reminded ourselves of the positive social changes this technology could bring, allowing us to rise again. Eventually, by steadily advancing the platform, we achieved great success by winning the grand prize at the ICT Awards. Through this experience, we fully learned that 'failure is not the end but a process leading to success' and realized the true value of teamwork.

| What has been your most proud or meaningful achievement during your university life, and what did you learn from that experience?

I believe being selected for this year’s President's List is my most meaningful achievement. This system recognizes student success models that embody Sungkyunkwan University’s founding philosophy of Sugichiin (修己治人). For me, it was not just an acknowledgment of my grades but a moment that confirmed the significance of every step I have taken.

Actually, I transferred my major from Aerospace Engineering to Computer Science, so in my third year, I had to take core courses like Data Structures and Algorithms all at once. At first, I was very worried. However, I joined a club study group, studied together with friends, and continuously asked professors questions while dedicating myself to my studies, which led to good results. Through this process, I learned three main things.

First, ‘no experience is ever wasted.’ I served as the president of the GDG club, participated in on-campus programs to develop the campus app ‘Notisku’ for students, and worked as a mentor and TA to teach juniors, among many other activities. Initially, balancing these with my studies was difficult, but ultimately, all these experiences greatly helped me deepen my understanding of software and improve my practical skills. The second thing I realized was the ‘power of consistency.’ No matter how many activities I engaged in, I never neglected my studies and always approached them sincerely, which I believe led to these results.

Finally, I came to understand that growth can never be achieved alone. Behind every achievement were my teammates who believed in me and worked alongside me, and the professors who guided and advised me generously. Ultimately, the President's List was an award that confirmed the meaningfulness of every moment I spent in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and it became an experience that made me vow to continue growing sincerely and collaboratively as a developer.

▲ President’s List award cermony

| Finally, please share a few words.

If anyone feels it is too late or hesitates because they don’t know what to do, I want to say, “Start anything right now.” As a transfer student, I lacked credentials and faced many uncertain moments, but I challenged myself with everything I could during the time I was given. Through that process, I was able to meet many people who helped me grow.

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Professor Seonyoung Song, who always offers warm encouragement; Professor Suji Lee, my advisor who guided the direction of my research; and Professor Eunseok Lee, Dean of the College of Computing and Informatics. Above all, I deeply thank my parents, who always believe in and support me no matter what path I take.

Sungkyunkwan University taught me with conviction that technology can solve society’s problems, that code is the language of innovation, and algorithms are the force that drives that language. Moving forward, as a developer with a warm heart, I want to create positive change in the world through technology that serves people.

◎ Dongwan Kim (Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Class of 19)

“Being Myself, Being Diverse”

| Please introduce yourself.

Hello, I’m Kim Dong-wan, a student from the Software Department, class of ’19. I’m currently in my final semester and have been admitted to the integrated master’s and doctoral program. I will be joining Professor Jeong Yeon-wook’s lab in the Department of Quantum Information Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University. This October marks my first anniversary as an undergraduate research assistant. Looking back, many different titles have been attached to my name: class president Kim Dong-wan, vocalist, actor, announcer, DJ, intern, developer, student, and now researcher Kim Dong-wan. My palette has been filled with many different colors, and I’m really looking forward to the coming years as researcher Kim Dong-wan.

| Can you tell us about how you came to focus deeply on the field of quantum computing?

I consider myself a very lucky person. I majored in physics at a science high school and even won a gold medal at a physics competition. However, following the trends, I switched to computer science and software for college entrance exams. At first, I found studying my major uninteresting. On top of that, the joy of becoming an adult and the relief of escaping a strict study environment led me to pursue my passion for music and my dreams.

I taught myself music production and harmony, learned DJing, wrote lyrics and melodies, recorded songs, and shared them on platforms. I gained fans and even performed live. Then, by chance, I got an opportunity to audition. Although I lacked the skills to be a singer-songwriter, which was my original goal, I was offered to join a newly forming idol group. Since I didn’t have confidence in becoming an idol, I accepted my limits and decided to focus on my major studies.

Around the time I started to build up my major knowledge, I enlisted in the Navy to fulfill my national service duty as a proud citizen of Korea. After discharge and returning to school, I found it difficult to keep up with the third-year major courses, so I took a leave of absence. During my time off, I was unemployed and carried only a thin resume while looking for part-time jobs. One day, through a high school friend’s suggestion, I joined a startup. For six months, I developed On-device AI applications at MOEZ, a startup located in Seoul National University’s Campus Town.

At the end of winter 2023, before returning to school, I wanted to set a clear direction. I wondered what field could combine my interests in physics and computer science, and that’s when I thought of quantum computing. Studying quantum computing seemed like a perfect fit, allowing me to pursue both my passion for physics and the computer science I had already invested three years in. Since it was my second attempt at the third year, I prepared thoroughly. I created a personalized curriculum for myself by picking and choosing lectures from various majors to study quantum computing. I took major courses from other departments, such as Introduction to Electric Circuits, Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, Introduction to Quantum Computing, and Linear Algebra, alongside my software major courses, which are rare for software students.

By the second semester of my third year, I felt it was time to look for a research lab. I vaguely searched "Sungkyunkwan University quantum computing" on Google. Although now the Quantum Information Engineering Department exists at the university, it did not at that time, so the first thing that came up was my future advisor’s lab homepage. After meeting and getting approval, I started as an undergraduate research assistant in Professor Jeong Yeon-wook’s Superconducting Quantum Information Lab from October 2024.

I worked intensely. Since it was a newly challenging field, I gave it my all without regrets. I read lecture notes and coded while eating, drank over five shots of coffee a day to pull all-nighters, woke up at 4 a.m. to prepare presentations with a breakfast combo, and spent 16 straight hours coding. That’s how I spent my third year in 2024.

| Could you tell us about receiving the Minister of Science and ICT Award at the 2025 Quantum Information Competition?

By the time I had gained a rough understanding of what kinds of computations quantum computers can perform and how superconducting quantum computers are made, everything began when I connected with Sangho Kim on LinkedIn. After sending a connection request, I received a prompt message from him suggesting that I lead the quantum computing AI session in the rebranded AI academic club he was running.

Knowing well my own limitations, I hesitated at first, but something inside me stirred, and I quickly accepted. Alongside Seoyoungho from the Software Department and Juwon Kwon from the Physics Department, I dedicated one semester to the academic club activities following a curriculum I personally designed. While I acknowledged the importance of theory, I believed that as a software major, gaining hands-on experience by writing code and running real quantum computers was crucial. Therefore, I focused on using various quantum computer SDKs, conducting weekly practical sessions with IBM’s Qiskit SDK—the most influential quantum computing SDK—and kept up with paper studies to enhance our skills collectively.

When I learned about the Quantum Information Competition that would take place after the summer vacation, I immediately submitted our preliminary documents. Perhaps because I put my utmost effort into the submission, we passed the preliminary round. Right after the semester ended, I gathered my teammates like an emergency task force and led Qiskit practice sessions related to Quantum Machine Learning (QML). We studied key concepts introduced in the competition such as the Fisher Information Matrix and Effective Dimension. We also prepared mock problems based on past questions for practice. Since I led this preparation, I had a strong intuition that thorough preparation would greatly help us during the competition.

On the day the competition problems were announced, our team was ready. As the team leader, I handled scheduling and task distribution. As a senior in the Software Department, I implemented code to calculate the Effective Dimension—a main problem in the competition—more efficiently. Ultimately, we formulated the conclusion that “Although Effective Dimension is a good metric to evaluate QNNs, it has limitations as a single metric for precisely predicting the Barren Plateau phenomenon.” For a more detailed competition review, please refer to my personal LinkedIn.

After it was confirmed that we had won, I asked one of the judges why our team was awarded first place. The answer was quite clear: because our team had unique ideas and claims, and we independently designed experiments to back up our conclusions. Reflecting on everything, I truly feel lucky that my intuition about the importance of “hands-on experience writing code and running real quantum computers” was spot on. Based on this belief, I pushed through practical training for an entire semester and specialized exercises just before the competition, enabling us to design, execute, and conclude all experiments in code within the short 2-night 3-day competition period.

| What are your dreams or vision?

My dream could be summed up as wanting to hear people say, "Do you want to build a quantum computer? Then go find Dongwan Kim." It might sound a little childish, but my dream is to become Iron Man.

I don’t have an extraordinary intellect or wealth like Iron Man, but I want to emulate his passion. No matter how much money or knowledge he has, what I really admire is his unquenchable burning passion to keep exploring. Also, he majored in electronics and physics, and with his wide-ranging knowledge across many disciplines, he designs, builds, solders, and codes his Iron Man suits all by himself — which I find the most impressive.

That’s why I want to become someone like that. Of course, for academic degrees, I’ll need to specialize deeply in a narrow field. But like general education, my academic dream is to master everything from A to Z about quantum computers — from chip design and fabrication, to measurement, architecture design, and even the software platforms that operate these systems.

With the expertise I build up, my dream and vision is to start a quantum computing company under my own name and make it successful.

| Lastly, could you share a final message?

I’ve wandered a lot. Some might say, “You won a ministerial award, why the interview?” But rather than the title or size of the award, I want to focus on what it represents — that after a long period of wandering, the direction I found wasn’t wrong.

A long time ago, when I was attending Busan International Middle School, a senior who became a diplomat gave the graduation speech. He said, "Life is about direction, not speed." It’s a phrase I’ve quietly kept close to my heart for a long time. I hope all fellow students can let go of some impatience, take a break, look around, and walk forward. Life isn’t a competition. Isn’t life about happily strolling to the beat of your own path? Thank you for reading my long story.

◎ Kim Sangho (Global Convergence Department, AI Convergence Major, Class of ’21)
“Brillante, Elegante, Ma Non Troppo: Brilliant and Elegant, But Not Overdone”

| Please introduce yourself.

Hello, I’m Kim Sangho, Class of 2021 at Sungkyunkwan University, currently pursuing studies and research across three majors: Artificial Intelligence, Software, and Political Science & Diplomacy. I enjoy crossing boundaries between diverse fields to expand and connect my knowledge and experiences. I often describe myself using the gaming terms ‘main character’ and ‘sub-character’, representing two distinct sides of who I am.

First, my main character is an ‘AI researcher’, aiming to design and develop ‘Artificial Social Intelligence’ that incorporates human soft skills such as sociality. Regarding my research experience, I am currently a scholarship recipient under the Korea-U.S. Advanced Field Youth Exchange Program, conducting undergraduate research as an exchange student at The University of Texas at Austin’s Computer Science Department (with a minor in Business) for one year. Before embarking on this journey to the U.S., I conducted one year of research in the same field at Sungkyunkwan University and three months of AI optimization research at Seoul National University. Some of you may know me as the founding president of SKKAI, the integrated Sungkyunkwan AI Society, launched in 2025 across both campuses.

On the other hand, my sub-character involves bridging the gaps between science and technology, policy, and diplomacy by applying technical knowledge on social and international stages. In this regard, I currently serve as an advisory member of the AI Division 2030 Committee under the Ministry of Science and ICT of Korea, analyzing global AI policies and trends to propose Korea-specific policies. Over the past year, I have built many connections with the U.S. Embassy in Korea, serving as a member of the Legation House Council, a youth parliament under the consulate. I was honored to be selected in August as one of 15 Korean youth representatives—and the sole representative from the science and engineering fields—to attend the 2025 Young Trilateral Leaders Summit hosted by the U.S. Department of State. Last year, together with fellow Sungkyunkwan students, I had the privilege of receiving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Award of Korea as well as the President Biden Volunteer Service Award.

▲ SKKAI

| Please tell us about the ‘YTL (Young Trilateral Leaders) Summit 2025’.

This past August, I had the honor of being selected as the sole representative from a STEM (science and engineering) background in Korea to attend the “Young Trilateral Leaders (YTL) Summit 2025,” jointly hosted by the U.S. Department of State and Temple University’s Kyoto campus. First held in Busan last year, this year’s summit took place in Osaka, Japan—also the host city for the World Expo. Delegates included 15 youth representatives each from Korea, the U.S., and Japan, along with five special invitees from Indo-Pacific youth leadership programs (such as YSEALI and YPL). Together, we engaged in discussions on major global issues such as diplomacy, international peace, and next-generation technologies.

Although the summit might seem distant from my core academic background, I applied because I wanted to experience what I’d call the career high of my “sub-character.” Among the youth programs organized by the U.S. Embassy in Korea, the YTL Summit is known for being one of the most competitive and prestigious. Fully funded by the U.S. Department of State, it is especially popular among my peers majoring in political science and international relations. For me, it felt like facing a stage boss—a true challenge in terms of competition.

Personally, this event made me deeply reflect on what roles the younger generation can and should play at the intersection of science, technology, and diplomacy. As someone studying next‑generation technologies such as artificial intelligence, what I realized on the global stage was that future international cooperation will be driven primarily by highly complex science‑and‑technology diplomacy. In other words, no diplomatic approach can be complete without incorporating scientific and technological elements, or at least having a minimal understanding of them.

Unfortunately, due to factors such as the scale of capital and industry, South Korea often participates in international competition as a latecomer in new-technology development, and as a result R&D for next‑generation technologies, the ecosystems that should support them, policies, and diplomatic approaches do not yet move in sufficient coordination. Personally, I think there remains a gap in Korea between the scientific/academic and industrial communities (including next‑generation tech) and the government and related ministries that must support and scale those efforts through policy.

That said, to overcome these limitations, various stakeholders—including policy advisers with STEM backgrounds like me—are already working together. As a young person majoring in both AI and international relations, I cautiously believe that closing these gaps is a task for the next generation of leaders.

| What has been the most helpful thing you learned or experienced at school?

Among the things I learned inside and outside of school, two stand out as the most helpful. The first is having the attitude to pursue my will without worrying about others’ opinions, and the second is finding a platform or organization that supports me as a person and helps me grow at the same time.

First, acting according to my will without worrying about others’ eyes doesn’t simply mean ‘be brave’ or ‘don’t care about others and just do what you want.’ It means that if what you want to do or are concerned about is not particularly problematic, you should give it a try. Especially Koreans tend to hesitate thinking reflexively, “Won’t I stand out too much if I do that?” or “Won’t people look at me weirdly?” I can relate a lot because I grew up only in Korea and naturally had such thoughts.

However, after coming to the U.S. and taking classes and working on projects, I noticed that students here don’t worry about that at all and immediately take action. It might be because the environment is highly individualized and no one really looks after you, but rather than hesitating because of others’ opinions, their eagerness to actively make themselves known and seize opportunities by any means was impressive. For them, asking questions or requesting something is not embarrassing but an expression of earnestness. These days, I truly realize how important even a bit of ‘courage’ is to confidently express my opinions around others. I learned that “it is much more helpful to actively step forward to seize or even create more opportunities than to stay quiet and miss out.”

The second thing I learned was how important it is to find an accelerator, like an ‘angel investor,’ who genuinely supports you. It becomes a great momentum for a student to find an institution, organization, or mentor who believes in their potential and strongly supports them behind the scenes. For me, that presence was the U.S. Embassy in Korea. Although I didn’t have a special connection from the start, I left a good impression in a program I participated in by chance, and since then, I have been continuously invited to various activities, deepening the relationship.

In a similar sense, National Center of Excellence in SW at Sungkyunkwan University was also a significant ‘support platform’ for me. At first, I simply went there to borrow a student uniform for attending an international conference, but after honestly sharing my activities and goals, the researchers kindly regarded me and offered a lot of help—from supporting the academic society I co-manage to introducing various opportunities both inside and outside campus. Especially when the dean heard about our society through the center and gave positive feedback saying, “The students are doing truly meaningful work,” along with many cheers and promises of support, it was really empowering.

| Lastly, please give us a final word.

Do you think life is a simulation? I don’t really believe so myself, but sometimes I enjoy imagining that this world might be part of a vast simulation. If everything is already determined by some algorithm called ‘fate,’ and even what we believe to be ‘will’—the origin of every choice and action—is just one element within that flow, then perhaps even the so-called ‘free will’ that everyone thinks they have is nothing more than an illusion that ‘I have the power to choose.’

Whenever I imagine this, maybe because I’m a computer science major, I often have a quirky thought: ‘What if I became a bug in this simulation?’ It reminds me of when I used to play Pokémon games; if you crossed a place very quickly on a bicycle, sometimes a ‘void bug’ would occur where the screen would glitch, allowing you to instantly jump to the location of the final boss or a mythical Pokémon. I cautiously imagine life might be somewhat similar. When you make a sudden and strange choice within a predetermined flow, a new path might open up like an unexpected bug.

By continuously trying new attempts, new approaches, and asking new questions, you try to create sudden non-linear points and breakpoints. If you keep trying like that, perhaps the direction of the huge gear that moves this world might shift slightly. That small, sudden choice creates unpredictable future possibilities and a new flow of fate. Doesn’t that somewhere feel exciting? I hope I’m not the only one who thinks so!