Nepes Chairman Byung-Koo Lee Awarded Honorary Doctor of Engineering Degree by Soongsil University
■ Nepes Chairman Byung-Koo Lee receives honorary doctorate at Soongsil University’s first such ceremony in 18 years, recognized for contributions to semiconductor back-end industry development
Byung-Koo Lee, Chairman of Nepes Co., Ltd. (co-CEOs: Byung-Koo Lee and Chang-Woo Lee), was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Engineering degree by Soongsil University on Friday, June 5. The university stated that the decision was made in recognition of Chairman Lee’s outstanding contributions to the advancement of Korea’s semiconductor industry and his innovations in advanced packaging technologies.
Chairman Lee is considered a first-generation figure in Korea’s semiconductor industry, having devoted approximately 48 years to the field since joining LG Semiconductor Co., Ltd. in 1978. In 1990, he led improvements in semiconductor manufacturing productivity as Head of the Production Technology Center. In the same year, he founded Clean Creative, the predecessor of Nepes, and went on to establish Nepes Co., Ltd. in 1991, marking the beginning of his full-scale entrepreneurial career.
Following the company’s founding, Chairman Lee spearheaded the development of core technologies in advanced packaging, including Korea’s first mass production of Wafer-Level Packaging (WLP) and the world’s first development of Fan-Out Panel-Level Packaging (FOPLP). These achievements played a pivotal role in advancing Korea’s semiconductor back-end processing industry. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit in 2006 and the Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit in 2022.
He also contributed to building a global semiconductor back-end ecosystem by expanding business operations into key countries such as the United States, China, and the Philippines. In recognition of these efforts, he was granted honorary citizenship by the City of Toledo, Ohio, and Yixing City in Jiangsu Province, China. Additionally, he has actively supported broader societal development, serving as Co-Chair of the Future Committee at Handong Global University and as a member of the Future Development Committee at Yonsei University Health System.
Chairman Lee’s industry experience and insights also extended into academia. From 2008 to 2019, he served as an adjunct professor at Ewha Womans University’s College of Business Administration, and later as a visiting professor at Sookmyung Women’s University, contributing to the development of future talent. He has also supported industry-academia collaboration by partnering with specialized high schools, universities, and education offices, helping to foster practice-oriented education and talent cultivation while strengthening collaborative foundations between industry and academia.
Chairman Byung-Koo Lee stated, “I accept this honor not merely as a personal distinction, but as a call for Soongsil University and Nepes to work together in nurturing people and creating a positive impact on society.” He added, “We will continue to strengthen cooperation in industry-academia collaboration and talent development, and work together to establish a practical model for preparing future generations.”
Meanwhile, this honorary doctorate conferment ceremony marked the first such event held by Soongsil University in 18 years. The ceremony concluded successfully under the university’s auspices, with the attendance of key figures from academia and industry.