Myung Sagong

"Bridging disciplines to turn rock mechanics and railway research into real-world safety, resilience and better mobility."

Myung Sagong is a civil engineer specializing in geotechnical and rock engineering who built his academic foundation in Korea and the United States, completing his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in Korea and then pursuing both his master’s and doctoral degrees in geotechnical engineering at Purdue University.

Dr. Sagong moved to the U.S. in early 1997, just before the International Monetary Fund crisis began in Korea in the fall of 1997, and during this challenging period he received an opportunity to serve as a teaching assistant from Professor Adolph Altschaeffl, for which he remains grateful. Under the supervision of Professor Antonio Bobet, he further deepened his expertise in rock mechanics, and he is also sincerely thankful for Professor Bobet’s guidance during his graduate studies.

Through his work in rock engineering and exposure to courses such as fracture mechanics and elasticity in the aerospace engineering department, Dr. Sagong developed capabilities as a future multidisciplinary expert, gaining broad experience that connected rock mechanics, mechanics of materials, and advanced engineering analysis.

Since joining the Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) in 2003, Dr. Sagong has devoted more than two decades to the advancement of railway civil infrastructure, with his career there broadly divided between roles as a researcher and as a research manager.

Alongside his roles at KRRI, Dr. Sagong has been highly active in professional societies, contributing to the Korean Society for Railway, the Korean Society for Rock Mechanics, the Korean Geotechnical Society, and related organizations through editorial, committee, and leadership positions. In 2024 he served as President of the Korean Society for Railway, strengthening the society’s role in linking research, industry, and policy in the railway sector.

In May 2025, Dr. Sagong was appointed President of the Korea Railroad Research Institute, one of the 23 government-funded research institutes in Korea, which has developed Korea’s high-speed rail technologies including systems capable of operating at speeds up to approximately 370 km/h. In this role, he is committed to enhancing KRRI’s competitiveness and providing both technological and policy support for Korea’s railway and public transportation industries in the era of artificial intelligence.

Dr. Sagong’s current focus is on positioning KRRI as a leading institution that integrates AI, digital technologies, and advanced engineering to support safe, sustainable, and user-centered railway and public transport systems for the future.