FacebookTwitterEmailLinkedin In an exclusive interview, Lee Yongsok – appointed as the 26th Chairman and CEO of KR (Korean Register) in January 2026 – explains how KR supports the balance between innovation and safety. The organization applies a disciplined, lifecycle-based technical evaluation process, covering every stage from initial concept through to commercialization. Beyond technical verification, KR actively contributes operational feedback to regulatory discussions at the IMO and within IACS working groups, helping to ensure that global regulations reflect practical realities at sea. Lee Yongsok also emphasizes the importance of modernization and openness to change if the shipping industry is to remain competitive and credible to younger generations. Career models, in particular, must evolve: greater flexibility, smoother transitions between sea and shore roles, and stronger international development pathways should become standard practice across the industry. RelatedNews Future-ready seafarers: Bridging technical excellence and human competence Maritime Talent Development Program: Navigating the crew crisis var jnews_module_21366054_0_6a04cc9a0661f = {"header_icon":"","first_title":"Related","second_title":"News","url":"","header_type":"heading_8","header_background":"","header_secondary_background":"","header_text_color":"","header_line_color":"","header_accent_color":"","header_filter_category":"","header_filter_author":"","header_filter_tag":"","header_filter_cpt_post_tag":"","header_filter_cpt_tribe_events_cat":"","header_filter_cpt_web_story_category":"","header_filter_cpt_web_story_tag":"","header_filter_text":"All","sticky_post":false,"sticky_post_filter":false,"post_type":"post","content_type":"all","sponsor":false,"number_post":"2","post_offset":0,"unique_content":"unique1","include_post":"","included_only":false,"exclude_post":"21366054","include_category":"","exclude_category":"","include_author":"","include_tag":"1613,659,1745,3027","exclude_t