BIGBANG's G-Dragon Is ‘Stunned And Excited’ About His Visiting Professor Role

BIGBANG’s G-Dragon has been appointed as a visiting professor at the Korea Advanced Institute Of Science and Technology (KAIST). The appointment process was finalised on June 4. According to the media outlet OSEN, KAIST has officially announced that G-Dragon has received a letter of appointment as a visiting professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. This confirmation follows his participation in the Innovate Korea 2024 talk show which took place at the KAIST headquarters in Daejeon on June 5.

The K-pop icon recently graced the cover of the July issue of ELLE Korea where he can be seen wearing the Chanel 2023/24 workshop collection in a striking and elegant style. In the interview following the photo shoot, G-Dragon opened up about his latest venture. He expressed a mix of astonishment and excitement upon his initial visit to the KAIST campus.

“KAIST is a place full of people who passionately explore their fields. I thought that the way the students immersed [in their studies] to an extent that the boundary between academics and daily life is unclear looked similar to myself as a child, who contemplated and explored alone in the practice room,” he shared with the magazine as per Soompi.

KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung highlighted the potential of G-Dragon to drive innovation in K-culture and expand the horizons of knowledge. Fans of the K-pop star were delighted by his playful attitude during his appointment ceremony. In videos going viral on the internet, G-Dragon can be seen playingfully holding up bunny ears behind the President during an official photo session.

Prior to his formal appointment, he was also spotted by students during a visit to the campus.

ELLE Korea also asked him about his daily interests where he revealed his diversity, expressing a desire to explore “something unfamiliar rather than something outdated.”

“If the field is not my area of expertise, I am willing to borrow the expertise of others. That way, it is possible to present a higher quality outcome,” he added.

Meanwhile, G-Dragon’s label Galaxy Corporation in April announced plans for his highly anticipated comeback later this year, as reported by South Korean news outlet News1. “After making his comeback, he will be carrying out global activities, and activities in Japan are also planned as part of them,” Galaxy Corporation revealed in the statement via Soompi.

G-dragon’s comeback marks his first solo release in approximately seven years, following the launch of his self-titled EP Kwon Ji-yong.