Kilnam Chon

Kilnam Chon (; born 3 January 1943) is a South Korean computer scientist widely recognized for his pioneering contributions to the development of the internet in South Korea. His work led to South Korea becoming the second country in the world, after the United States, to establish an IPv4 network connection. Often referred to as the father of the Korean Internet, Chon played a key role in connecting Seoul National University and the Korea Institute of Electronics Technology in May 1982, marking a significant milestone in the country's technological advancement.

Chon earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Osaka University in 1965 and later obtained a M.S. and Ph.D. in systems engineering from UCLA in 1967 and 1974, respectively. He worked as a computer system designer at Rockwell International and as a technical staff member at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory before returning to South Korea in 1979. There, he joined the Korea Institute of Electronics Technology (later known as the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute) as a researcher.

Early life and education Chon was born on January 3, 1943, in Japan. Little is publicly documented about his early childhood. His early exposure to technology and engineering would eventually lead him to become a pioneering figure in computer science and network infrastructure.

Chon pursued his undergraduate studies in Japan, earning a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Osaka University in 1965. He then moved to the United States for graduate studies, obtaining a Ph.D. in systems engineering from UCLA in 1974. Unlike many early networks, the SDN adopted TCP/IP, which Chon has stated was a strategic decision to facilitate collaboration in South Korea's R&D field, aligning with global research institutions like UC Berkeley and MIT. Initially, the network only connected 2 nodes—KIET and Seoul National University (SNU)—via a 1200 bps leased line. In 2008, Chon served as a Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, and also began a professorship at Keio University. As of 2012, Chon was still a professor at both KAIST and Keio University. As of 2025, Chon has more than 40 publications across these fields.

In addition to his work in the technical development of internet technology, Chon has shown an interest in historical documentation and internet history preservation, frequently engaging in discussions about the future of technology and its societal impact. Chon has written extensively on the history of technology in Asia, in 2006 co-publishing "A brief history of the internet in Korea," and an expanded article in 2014 "A history of computer networking and the internet in Korea." In 2015, Chin published a 332-page comprehensive history of the internet in Asia from in the 1990s, "An Asian internet History Second Decade (1991-2000)."

Awards

1997: Awarded Scientist of the Year Award (Korea) 1998: Awarded Presidential Award – Information Technology (Korea) 2000: Became a fellow of the Institute of Electrical Engineers 2003: Became a fellow of the World Technology Forum 2003: Awarded World Technology Award – Communication Technology 2005: Became an honorary member of the World Innovation Foundation 2011: Awarded Jonathan B. Postel Service Award

Personal life Chon has also demonstrated a strong interest in digital preservation, internet governance, and open-source technology. He has promoted internet accessibility in Asia and has been involved in organizations that advocate for the expansion of digital infrastructure in underserved communities. He has also been involved in mentoring younger generations of computer scientists and engineers, particularly in South Korea and across Asia. He is also an adviser to Open Net and to the non-profit Commons Foundation.