Hong Ui-rak, the newly appointed president of Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS), officially assumed office on July 29. In his inaugural address, Hong stated that KOGAS is a strategic public enterprise responsible for national energy security and outlined three key management directions: “enhancing KOGAS’s status and corporate value,” “establishing the role of bridge energy,” and “transitioning into an AI-based energy platform company.” He pledged to restore financial soundness and corporate value by leveraging KOGAS’s decades-long LNG value chain, nationwide supply network, and global business experience, and to enhance operations through AI to become an “AI-native energy enterprise.” Hong proposed nurturing natural gas as a “bridge energy” to complement the intermittency of renewables. On his first day, he visited the Central Control Center, Cybersecurity Operations Center, and supply management facilities to inspect natural gas supply and demand, emergency response systems, AI transition progress, and safety management. Born in 1955 in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province, Hong served as the 19th and 20th National Assembly member and as Vice Mayor of Daegu for Economy. On July 23, he was appointed as the 19th president of KOGAS at an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting, following a nomination by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources and presidential approval. His term will last three years until July 28, 2029.