Hong Ui-rak, a former two-term lawmaker, has taken office as the 19th president and chief executive of Korea Gas Corp. (KOGAS), beginning a three-year term that runs through July 2029.

Hong was appointed as the new KOGAS chief at an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting on July 23. He formally assumed the post after being recommended by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources and approved by President Lee Jae Myung.

At his inauguration ceremony at the company’s headquarters in Daegu on Wednesday, Hong presented his vision of “connecting the future of Korea’s energy” and outlined three priorities: increasing KOGAS’ value, reinforcing its role as a “bridge energy” provider and turning the company into an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered energy platform.

“KOGAS is a key public company that supports Korea’s industries and people’s daily lives while playing a critical role in national energy security,” Hong said.

“We will improve the company’s financial health, enhance its value and build a stronger foundation for future growth.”

Hong’s remarks place KOGAS at the center of South Korea’s broader energy transition, where the utility must balance supply stability with policy pressure to decarbonize and adopt new technologies across its operations. Natural gas, he said, should be promoted as a bridge energy source that complements renewable energy and helps Korea pursue both energy security and carbon neutrality.

He also said KOGAS will apply AI and data technologies to core operations such as demand forecasting, supply management and global energy trading, with the goal of transforming the company into an AI-based energy platform. Those functions are central to how the company manages gas flows and pricing exposure, making the shift to data-driven systems a notable part of its modernization push.

Hong graduated from Korea University with a degree in agricultural economics.