Former Korea National Open University President Ryu Su-noh has been honored with the Korea Trust Management Grand Prize at the 24th Best Workplaces in Korea, in recognition of his leadership in lifelong education reform and commitment to trust-based governance. Ryu has demonstrated visionary leadership amid sweeping demographic and industrial shifts with artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transition. Recognizing that traditional education no longer sustains national competitiveness, he positioned lifelong learning as a strategic infrastructure, recognizing education as a continuous engine of national capability. The former president shifted the burden of adaptation from individuals to the state, pushing systemic reforms to widen access to education. He strengthened digital learning, modernized education infrastructure and tied lifelong learning to labor needs, turning the concept into an institutional framework. Ryu paired vision with execution, pushing through reforms and phased implementation that expanded continuing education options for midcareer workers, sharpened younger wor