Nam is specializing in the exploration of relativistic laser-matter interactions using femtosecond PW lasers.

Enrolling at Princeton University, he moved to the United States, where he later received a Ph.D. in plasma physics in 1988.

He served as a steering committee member of OECD Global Science Forum on Compact High-Intensity Short-Pulse Lasers (2001-2003) that eventually became ICUIL (Int.

on Ultra-high Intensity Lasers) - a working group of IUPAP, and is a scientific advisory committee member of ELI - ALPS (Extreme Light Infrastructure/ Attosecond Light Pulse Source) – the EU program for the PW laser facility in Hungary started from 2011.

He has represented Korea in international committees (ICQE from 2005 to 2012; CLEO-PR from 2012; Commission on Quantum Electronics of IUPAP since 2008).