Dear Members of the Korean Institute of Metals and Materials,

As we welcome 2025, I would like to extend my sincere wishes for good health, happiness, and continued success to all of you.

Our society, the Korean Institute of Metals and Materials (KIM), founded in 1946, has grown to over 10,000 members in about 80 years. Moreover, thanks to the passion and participation of all of you, the number of research presentations has reached more than 2,000 at each spring and fall conference. This outcome is thanks to the passion and participation of all of you. Now is the time to prepare a foundation for sustainable growth and strengthen our core competence. It will help us take steps to become an international materials society.

As we enter 2025, our society aims to progress further. Let me share the key plans:

Above all, I and my team will create a society that connects more closely with our members. We will introduce the ‘KIM Fellow’ system to honor those who have contributed significantly to our society. We plan to support Young Researchers within five years of permanent job appointment by providing travel grants for their oral presentations at international conferences.

As young student members are vital to the future of our society, we will implement and extend initiatives to inspire their leadership, foster voluntary participation, and make their involvement both meaningful and enjoyable. We will establish a new Student Committee to support and empower our student members. At our Spring and Fall Conferences, we will provide opportunities for graduate students to operate Student Sessions and award outstanding presenters. We will transform the ‘Materials Microstructure Photo Award’ into the ‘Materials Science as Art Award’ to encourage members’ interest and broader participation.

Lastly, to internationalize our society and increase global recognition, we will redesign our website, create an English version, and optimize it for mobile environments.

I sincerely hope the initiatives described will lead to the growth of our society and significantly benefit your research efforts. I humbly request your active participation and support.

Thank you.