Nine Science and Technology Contributors Selected This Year, Including Pioneer in Infectious Disease Treatment

New Designation of Science and Technology Contributors in 2020

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] Nine individuals, including the late Professor Jeon Jong-hwi, Professor Emeritus at The Catholic University of Korea, who laid the foundation for infectious disease treatment and research in South Korea, were selected as Korea's Science and Technology Meritorious Persons on the 17th. The Ministry of Science and ICT selected meritorious persons by field (natural sciences, life sciences, engineering, convergence) through discussions with 140 experts.

In the natural sciences field, the late General Guk Chae-pyo, former head of the Central Meteorological Observatory, who established the foundation of meteorology and weather forecasting in South Korea; Professor Emeritus Yoon Neung-min of Sogang University, a pioneer in organic synthesis using hydrogenated metals; and the late Professor Im Deok-sang of the University of Pennsylvania, USA, who solved the homological algebra problem, were selected.

In the life sciences field, the late Professor Jeon Jong-hwi, Professor Emeritus at The Catholic University of Korea, who laid the foundation for infectious disease treatment and research in South Korea, and Han Moon-hee, the founding director of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, who established the foundation of biotechnology in South Korea, were chosen.

In the engineering field, globally renowned scholar in thermal physical properties Professor Emeritus Noh Seung-tak of Seoul National University; the late Ahn Byung-sung, principal researcher at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, who contributed to the era of one telephone per household in South Korea and developed the country's first minicomputer, Sejong No. 1; Kim Myung-ja, Honorary President of the Korea Federation of Science and Technology Societies, who established the policy framework for environmental pollution prevention; and the late Kim Yong-gwan, executive director of the Science Knowledge Dissemination Association, a scientific activist who presented the vision for scientific Joseon during the Japanese colonial period, were selected.

The government will provide the Science and Technology Meritorious Persons with certificates in the name of the President and induction into the Hall of Fame. Kang Sang-wook, Director of the Future Talent Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, "We will continue to discover and implement measures to appropriately honor and support the meritorious persons. We will also do our best to create an environment where our youth can dream of becoming scientists by showcasing the proud lives and achievements of these meritorious individuals."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.