Jeongmin Kim
About Jeongmin Kim
Jeongmin Kim, Ph.D., is Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Engineering at GCT Semiconductor, serving as CTO since 2013 and VP of Engineering since July 2003. He is 55 years old (as of July 25, 2025), with a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Seoul National University, specializing in high-performance CPU architecture . Prior to GCT, he led industrial research projects across Samsung Electronics (high-performance microcontroller, 1993–1995), Korea Telecom (high-performance H.263 video codec ASIC, 1995–1997), and Daewoo Electronics (MPEG2 HDTV video decoder, 1997–1998), evidencing deep systems and silicon execution credentials .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Electronics | High-performance microcontroller project lead | 1993–1995 | Architected microcontroller design, foundational embedded silicon experience |
| Korea Telecom | High-performance H.263 video codec ASIC project | 1995–1997 | Delivered advanced codec ASIC; telecom-grade silicon verification |
| Daewoo Electronics | Independent design engineer (MPEG2 HDTV decoder) | 1997–1998 | Built MPEG2 decoder for HDTV, multimedia systems expertise |
External Roles
No public company directorships or external board roles disclosed for Dr. Kim .
Fixed Compensation
- Dr. Kim was not listed among the Named Executive Officers (NEOs) in the Summary Compensation Table for 2024 and 2023; CEO, CFO, and SVP Sales were disclosed as NEOs .
- Base salary, target bonus %, and actual bonus for Dr. Kim were not disclosed in the latest proxy .
Performance Compensation
RSU Awards
| Grant Type | Grant Date | Shares Granted | Fair Value ($) | Vesting Schedule | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSU | 09/19/2025 | 75,000 | N/A | 25% annually starting 09/19/2026 (expected 18,750 per year through 09/19/2029), subject to continued service | Post-transaction beneficial ownership reported as 302,701 shares |
Option Awards
| Metric | Amount | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Options exercisable within 60 days (as of 07/25/2025) | 82,359 | Strike, grant dates, and expirations not disclosed for Dr. Kim; count disclosed via beneficial ownership footnote |
Performance Metrics Tied to Compensation
- No specific revenue/EBITDA/TSR or operational/ESG metrics disclosed as payout drivers for Dr. Kim in proxy materials .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
Beneficial Ownership
| As-Of Date | Shares Beneficially Owned | Ownership % of OS | Notable Footnotes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03/15/2025 | 300,749 | <1% of 48,233,113 OS | Includes 82,359 shares issuable upon option exercise within 60 days |
| 07/25/2025 | 300,749 | <1% of 55,821,690 OS | Includes 82,359 shares issuable upon option exercise within 60 days |
| 09/19/2025 (post RSU grant) | 302,701 | N/A | Post-transaction Form 4 beneficial ownership after 75,000 RSU grant |
Pledging / Hedging / Ownership Guidelines
- Policy prohibits short sales and derivative trading in company securities; pledging/margin accounts only with pre-clearance and demonstrated capacity to repay without resort to pledged shares .
- Company-level insider trading policy mandates pre-clearance for trades by executive officers; blackout/trading window procedures apply .
- No stock ownership multiple-of-salary guidelines disclosed; no pledging by Dr. Kim disclosed .
Employment Terms
| Term | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Employment start dates | VP Engineering since July 2003; CTO since 2013 |
| Contract specifics | No individual employment agreement disclosed for Dr. Kim in 2024/2025 filings |
| Severance / Change-of-Control | Company Retention Plan provides for NEOs: 6 months base salary + healthcare and 50% accelerated vesting upon involuntary termination; 12 months base salary + healthcare and full accelerated vesting if within 12 months post-change-of-control. 280G cutback applies. NEO eligibility defined by company; Dr. Kim’s eligibility is not explicitly stated . |
| Clawback | Clawback policy adopted; recovery of incentive compensation in case of material restatements, filed as Exhibit 97.1 to 10-K |
| Insider trading & pre-clearance | Insider Trading Policy (Exhibit 19.1) requires pre-clearance, restricts hedging/pledging, outlines blackout periods |
Subsidiary Roles and Agreements
| Entity | Role | Agreement | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GCT Research, Inc. (Korea) | President & Representative Director | Loan agreement with Anapass Inc. KRW 4.5B principal, 6.5% interest, 12-month maturity | 03/21/2025 | Signed by Dr. Kim on behalf of Borrower |
| GCT Research, Inc. (Korea) | President & Representative Director | Amendment to loan agreements with Kyeongho Lee; penalty terms revised | 01/24/2025 | Signed by Dr. Kim on behalf of Borrower |
| GCT Semiconductor, Inc. | Guarantor role noted in Q3 2025 filing | Corporate guarantee | 11/12/2025 | Filings include signature blocks for Dr. Kim |
Performance & Track Record
- Tenure-based execution: Two decades leading GCT’s engineering, spanning 4G/5G systems, RF/baseband, and protocol development; prior industrial projects in telecom and consumer electronics .
- Company-level operational achievements in 2024–2025 not attributed individually; no TSR, revenue growth, or EBITDA growth tied to Dr. Kim’s personal metrics are disclosed in compensation narratives .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: A new 75,000 RSU grant vesting over four years (starting 09/19/2026) suggests multi-year retention focus and deferred monetization, moderating near-term selling pressure and aligning with long-term execution of 5G roadmap .
- Skin-in-the-game: Ongoing beneficial ownership (~300k shares) plus legacy options exercisable within 60 days indicates material exposure to equity outcomes; no pledging/hedging disclosed, with strict company prohibitions reducing misalignment risk .
- Severance dynamics: Company Retention Plan offers meaningful equity acceleration upon qualifying separations (and full acceleration post-change-of-control for NEOs); if Dr. Kim is covered, this limits post-acquisition retention risk but may increase dilution near transactions; eligibility not explicitly confirmed for him .
- Governance signals: Robust pre-clearance and clawback policy frameworks, plus hedging/pledging limits, reduce adverse trading signals and enforce pay-for-performance recovery standards in case of restatements .