-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueWhat's Your Sweet Spot?
Are you in a niche that’s growing or shrinking? Is it time to reassess and refocus? We spotlight companies thriving by redefining or reinforcing their niche. What are their insights?
Moving Forward With Confidence
In this issue, we focus on sales and quoting, workforce training, new IPC leadership in the U.S. and Canada, the effects of tariffs, CFX standards, and much more—all designed to provide perspective as you move through the cloud bank of today's shifting economic market.
Intelligent Test and Inspection
Are you ready to explore the cutting-edge advancements shaping the electronics manufacturing industry? The May 2025 issue of SMT007 Magazine is packed with insights, innovations, and expert perspectives that you won’t want to miss.
- Articles
- Columns
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
IPC Rising Star Award: Young-Ho Hwang, Guru E&E
April 23, 2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

The IPC Rising Star Award is given to IPC members who have taken leadership roles and supported IPC standards, education, advocacy, and solutions to challenges faced by the industry. Their contributions have made a significant impact on IPC and the industry within the past five years and will have a lasting impact for many years to come.
Since 2022, IPC has made significant progress for its Korean members. Previously recognized mainly for educational certification in the defense industry, IPC has expanded its influence through key initiatives including establishing the IPC Korea Advisory Committee, launching the IPC 610 RTG in 2022, and organizing annual IPC K-FEST events. Today IPC standards are supported by the De facto Global Standards Forum, initiated by the Korean government.
Young-Ho Hwang has been instrumental in driving these developments. As a core advisory committee member and chair of the 610 RTG, he has played a key role in guiding IPC Korea’s strategic direction, championed the development and adoption of IPC standards across industries, and fostered strong collaborations with stakeholders. His technology and dedication as an active IPC volunteer have elevated IPC’s recognition in government-led forums and helped establish IPC K-FEST as a flagship event in Korea.
Young-Ho, what was it like to receive the news of your award?
Receiving the award signifies that someone has made a significant contribution, but it made me reflect on whether I had truly made a contribution through my activities at IPC Korea. Given my involvement in various activities such as the advisory committee, the revision committee, and K-FEST at IPC Korea, I believe this award is a reminder to strive to do better and to promote IPC standards in various industries in Korea through IPC Korea, as well as to be active in the field of standard revision and development.
How did you get involved with IPC?
I've worked in the electrical and electronics field for 35 years, but honestly, when I started in this field, I had little connection with IPC. I attended an IPC Conference in 2006 but still felt distant from IPC. However, four years ago, I met IPC Korea representative Tina Choi. Her passion and desire to promote the growth of Korean industries through IPC inspired me. Since that meeting, I've become very active in IPC activities. Currently, I am using various standards, such as PCB/FPC manufacturing, PCB design, PCB assembly, and reliability in product development, production, and quality control.
Which committees do you currently work with?
I am participating in committees such as the acceptability of electronic assemblies, which is the most commonly used, and semiconductor substrate-related standards IPC-6921, as well as design committees. The 610 RTG was created in Korea, and I am serving as the chair of the 7-31b-KR committee, working to expand the presence of IPC in Korea. Our activities include standard revisions and reviewing Korean translations of standards, such as IPC-J-STD-610 and 001 within the 7-31b-KR committee.
Tell us a little about your employer.
Previously, I worked at LG Group, but for the past eight years, I have been working at Guru E&E Inc. as a leading technical consultant in the electrical and electronics field. Additionally, I offer technical consulting to major clients in areas such as PCB design for automotive electronics, design, production, and quality control of sensing modules for battery products. I also make extensive use of IPC standards in my technical consulting.
Have your employers always supported your IPC work?
Most experts participating in IPC activities find it challenging to balance their company duties. However, many experts dedicate their personal time to contribute to the Korean industries and international standards. Fortunately, more companies in Korea are using IPC standards, which motivates experts participating in IPC activities to be more proactive. As a technical consultant, it is important not only to meet clients with my skills but also to use IPC standards—which are widely used in the international electronics industry—in my technical consulting. This ensures a more objective level of expertise and utilizes standards that are recognized and accepted by everyone. Therefore, engaging in IPC activities is naturally part of my work duties. My company actively encourages my participation in IPC activities.
What do you find exciting about our industry right now?
In the past, our industries were dominated by the belief that excelling individually was enough. However, with the changes in SCM, the world has formed a network like a single industrial structure. In other words, it's not just one company that needs to perform well, all companies must excel for everyone in the network to succeed. Therefore, standards play a very important role in this industrial structure. IPC standards, which are created with the participation of experts from various industries worldwide, contribute much more significantly to the modern industrial structure compared to the past. This is a fascinating phenomenon in the current industry.
What advice would you give someone starting in this industry?
Develop a perspective that can observe the trends in the international industry. I would also emphasize the importance of identifying and studying the commonly accepted and used standards. If there is an excellent leader who can serve as a mentor, follow them and think deeply about what you can learn and contribute to the industry. IPC provides opportunities to form an international expert network and serves as a platform for technology and various standards, so I would recommend taking advantage of the IPC platform.
Suggested Items
Advancing Aerospace Excellence: Emerald’s Medford Team Earns Space Addendum Certification
06/30/2025 | Emerald TechnologiesWe’re thrilled to announce a major achievement from our Medford, Oregon facility. Andy Abrigo has officially earned her credentials as a Certified IPC Trainer (CIT) under the IPC J-STD-001 Space Addendum, the leading industry standard for space and military-grade electronics manufacturing.
Magnalytix and Foresite to Host Technical Webinar on SIR Testing and Functional Reliability
06/26/2025 | MAGNALYTIXMagnalytix, in collaboration with Foresite Inc., is pleased to announce an upcoming one-hour Webinar Workshop titled “Comparing SIR IPC B-52 to Umpire 41 Functional & SIR Test Method.” This session will be held on July 24, 2025, and is open to professionals in electronics manufacturing, reliability engineering, and process development seeking insights into new testing standards for climatic reliability.
IPC Rebrands as Global Electronics Association: Interview With Dr. John W. Mitchell
06/22/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007Today, following a major announcement, IPC is embracing the rapid advancement of technology with a bold decision to change its name to the Global Electronics Association. This name more accurately reflects the full breadth of its work and the modern realities of electronics manufacturing. In this exclusive interview, Global Electronics Association President and CEO Dr. John W. Mitchell shares the story behind the rebrand: Why now, what it means for the industry, and how it aligns with the organization’s mission.
Global Electronics Association Debuts; New Name Elevates IPC’s 70-Year Legacy as Voice of $6 Trillion Electronics Industry
06/25/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationToday begins a new chapter for IPC as it officially becomes the Global Electronics Association, reflecting its role as the voice of the electronics industry. Guided by the vision of “Better electronics for a better world,” the Global Electronics Association (electronics.org) is dedicated to enhancing supply chain resilience and promoting accelerated growth through engagement with more than 3,000 member companies, thousands of partners, and dozens of governments across the globe.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
06/20/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007It’s been a busy week in this industry, and we have news and articles from the PCB design, fabrication and assembly communities. Some of this news is out of this world. We may be losing the high ground—the really high ground. Columnist Jesse Vaughan explains how the U.S. seems to be falling behind in space, and how this could affect our ability to defend ourselves in the future. We have an update on the U.S.-China tariff talks, which seem to be moving forward, though sometimes at a snail’s pace.