Angel Robotics Names Founder Kong Kyung-chul as CEO
Kong Kyung-chul returns to lead Angel Robotics, taking charge of both technology and management to expand physical AI.
Angel Robotics appointed its founder and board chairman, Kong Kyung-chul, as its new CEO at a board meeting on October 16, according to techm.kr. Kong also heads the company's Future Technology Institute.
In the role, Kong will be responsible for both technology and management at Angel Robotics, with a focus on strengthening physical AI capabilities and expanding new growth drivers.
Kong said the company aims to become a physical AI company that understands people best by combining its wearable robot technology and human motion understanding with AI.
Kong founded Angel Robotics in 2017 and served as CEO until October 2024, leading the company's KOSDAQ listing. After the company shifted to a professional management system in October 2024, he served as board chairman and head of the Future Technology Institute, overseeing mid- to long-term technology strategy and next-generation physical AI platform development.
Robotics work and research
In July 2026, Angel Robotics unveiled its high-performance robot actuator FACT and the FACT-based robot control platform FORCE, both developed under Kong's leadership.
Since July 2026, he has served as director of the Human Physical Intelligence Joint Research Center, jointly established by KAIST's Human Physical Intelligence Research Center and Nvidia, leading development of a human motion foundation model. Kong has been a mechanical engineering professor at KAIST since earning a mechanical engineering PhD from UC Berkeley in 2009, and his research team won gold medals at Cybathlon in 2020 and 2024.
Quick answers
Who is the new CEO of Angel Robotics?
Founder and board chairman Kong Kyung-chul was appointed CEO at a board meeting on October 16.
What will Kong Kyung-chul focus on as CEO?
He will lead both technology and management, focusing on strengthening physical AI capabilities and expanding new growth drivers.
When did Kong Kyung-chul previously serve as Angel Robotics CEO?
He founded the company in 2017 and served as CEO until October 2024, before the company shifted to a professional management system.