The research team of Lee Jae Seok and Kim Young Beom from the Cryptography and Security Engineering Laboratory, led by Professor Seo Seog Chung of the Department of Information Security, Cryptography and Mathematics at our university, won the Grand Prize at the 2025 PQC Transition Technology Contest held at the Seoul Office of the National Information Society Agency (NIA) on Friday, 14 November.

This competition, organised and sponsored by the National Information Society Agency (NIA), the Korea Institute of Information Security & Cryptology, and LG U+, was held for the first time this year. Its objective was to discover and establish a practical foundation for Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) transition technologies in preparation for the quantum computing era. The competition categories were divided into PQC algorithm optimisation and application fields, focusing on transitioning existing public-key cryptography to PQC within public and private systems.

The research team proposed a solution to implement the KpqC lattice-based algorithm, currently being promoted as a domestic standard, as a hardware accelerator and software framework capable of processing it within a single integrated structure from embedded devices to servers, through “Implementation of Lattice-based KpqC Integrated HW/SW Co-Design”. Notably, they pioneered a methodology for integrating algorithms with differing mathematical structures into a single architecture. By configuring NTT, modular reduction, and Keccak as shared hardware modules, and designing a structure where upper-level software selects only the parameters and workflow suited to individual KpqC schemes, they achieved low area consumption while presenting the first hardware implementation for KpqC. This is evaluated as establishing foundational technology that can substantially contribute to the national-level PQC transition and migration roadmap currently being phased in by the National Intelligence Service through 2035.

The Cryptography and Security Engineering Laboratory (Supervisor: Professor Seo Seog Chung) has, through this award, once again demonstrated its applied research capabilities in implementing and verifying quantum-resistant cryptography theories and algorithms into actual hardware and software systems, extending beyond theoretical research.

Professor Seo Seog Chung, head of the Cryptography and Security Engineering Laboratory, stated, “Due to advances in quantum computing technology, existing public-key cryptographic systems worldwide are gradually transitioning to PQC-based systems.” He added, “This research is highly significant as it presents an integrated design enabling the practical porting of KpqC across embedded systems, servers, and communication infrastructure.” He further emphasised, “Our Cryptography and Security Engineering Laboratory will continue to advance HW/SW integrated implementation technologies aligned with national-level PQC migration policies, contributing to securing global competitiveness for domestic PQC technology.”