The Organizing Committee of the 22nd World Energy Congress to be held in Daegu Oct. 13-17 next year announced Monday that it has appointed Daesung Group chairman Kim Young-hoon as its acting chairman.

Organizers said that Kim, vice chairman of the WEC Daegu 2013 Organizing Committee, will succeed Kim Joong-kyum as acting chairman in accordance with its regulations, as Kim has stepped down as chairman of the committee as well as president and CEO of Korea Electric Power Corp.

Kim Young-hoon was elected as co-chairman of the World Energy Council, the sponsor of the triennial World Energy Congress, at the council’s Executive Assembly held in Monaco on Nov. 8.

In 2013, Kim will begin a three-year term as co-chairman before assuming the chairmanship of the London-based energy organization from 2016 to 2019. He previously served as vice chairman for Asia Pacific and South Asia at the council from 2005 to 2011.

He has an extensive background in the Korean energy sector as the head of the Daegu-based Daesung Group, which supplies 20 percent of the residential natural gas market in Korea. Daesung has developed electric power and renewable energy sources including landfill gas-to-energy, a combined-cycle gas power station and Korea’s first solar power tower system.

The World Energy Congress is the premier international gathering for the global energy sector, which is expected to attract 5,000 high-level delegates from 100 countries to forums and exhibitions on the latest technology in the sector.

By Chun Sung-woo (swchun@heraldcorp.com)