On February 28, the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Center for Relativistic Laser Science held its opening ceremony at the International Collaboration Building of Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST). The event was attended by IBS President NOH Do Young, GIST President LIM Ki-chul, Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL) Director KANG Heung-sik, Korea Photonics Technology Institute (KOPTI) President SHIN Yong-jin, POSTECH Professor Emeritus NAM Kung-won, and other prominent scholars and officials in the field of physics.

Established in December 2024, the Center for Relativistic Laser Science is the second IBS campus research center at GIST, following the Center for Quantum Conversion (Director: KIM Yousoo). The center focuses on the generation and measurement of relativistic high-order harmonic attosecond pulses and the development of stable particle acceleration technologies. In particular, it aims to conduct in-depth research on Strong Field Quantum Electrodynamics (SF-QED) phenomena, which occur in extreme conditions such as collisions between relativistically accelerated particles and light particles.

During the ceremony, IBS President NOH Do Young stated, "The Center for Relativistic Laser Science will be a key pillar of the IBS Photonic Science Research Institute, set to launch this March. By pursuing IBS’s core mission of fundamental discovery, we aim to establish cutting-edge capabilities in ultra-high-power laser applications, which will be crucial for the nation's future scientific and technological advancements." He further expressed hopes that, along with the Advanced Photonics Research Institute, GIST would continue to grow into a leading institution in fundamental science.