SK Bioscience Honors Late Vice Chairman Park Man-hoon... "Establishment of Park Man-hoon Award and Scholarship Fund"

Memorial Service Held on the 28th at SK Bioscience Research Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi

On the 28th, at the SK Bioscience Research Institute in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, President Ahn Jae-yong announced the establishment of the Park Man-hoon Award during the memorial service for the late Park Man-hoon, Vice Chairman of SK Bioscience. (Photo by SK Bioscience)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] SK Bioscience has established the Park Man-hoon Award and set up the Park Man-hoon Scholarship Fund to honor the late Park Man-hoon, former Vice Chairman of SK Bioscience, who contributed to the development of domestically produced vaccines.

On the 28th, a memorial service for the late Park Man-hoon, former Vice Chairman of SK Bioscience, was held at the SK Bioscience research center in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province, attended by his bereaved family and company members. At the memorial speech, Choi Chang-won, Vice Chairman of SK Discovery, recalled, "The late’s determination and challenge of ‘Why do we only import vaccines? We can make vaccines too’ are now bearing fruit," and added, "He was not only a researcher leading vaccine development but also a great elder of the company who always guided and encouraged members to follow the right path."

Vice Chairman Choi said, "We are now realizing the ‘vaccine sovereignty’ of the Republic of Korea, which the late dreamed of, under the name of SK Bioscience," and he mourned the late by saying, "We will continue the late’s original intention and passion to contribute to society through research."

The memorial service began with a moment of silence led by Park Jong-su, Head of Corporate Culture at SK Bioscience, to honor the deceased. First, Kim Hoon, CTO of SK Bioscience, reported on the late’s career. CTO Kim spent the most time with the late in the laboratory during his lifetime.

Following this, Ahn Jae-yong, President of SK Bioscience, announced the establishment of the Park Man-hoon Award and Scholarship Fund. President Ahn emphasized, “The Park Man-hoon Award and Scholarship Fund will honor the achievements of the late Vice Chairman Park Man-hoon and inherit his passion for vaccine research to future generations. Through the operation of awards and scholarship systems embodying SK Bioscience’s identity, we will contribute to long-term talent development and build a bio-network through close cooperation with major schools and institutions.”

The Park Man-hoon Award will provide an annual prize of 200 million KRW to two individuals or teams who have made significant contributions in the field of vaccine research and development. It aims to become a prestigious award through agreements with reputable international organizations. The Park Man-hoon Scholarship Fund will be donated to the late’s alma maters, Seoul National University and Boseong High School, as well as Andong University in Andong, Gyeongbuk, where SK Bioscience’s L House is located.

The late Vice Chairman Park, who passed away on April 25, was known as the ‘pioneer of cell culture vaccines’ in Korea. Born in Seoul in 1957, he was recruited in 2008 as the Head of Bio at SK Chemicals Life Science Research Institute. He later served as the Head of SK Chemicals Life Science Research Institute, concurrently as President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of SK Chemicals’ pharmaceutical bio division, and subsequently as Vice Chairman of SK Bioscience.

He is credited with laying the foundation for the growth of SK Bioscience by driving the growth of SK Chemicals’ vaccine business through vaccine research and development (R&D). Notable examples include the next-generation pneumonia vaccine joint development contract with Sanofi Pasteur and the typhoid vaccine development collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He also led the establishment of domestic vaccine sovereignty through rapid and safe vaccine development and localization based on cell culture technology. His masterpieces include the world’s first cell culture quadrivalent influenza vaccine developed in 2015, the pneumococcal vaccine developed in 2016, and the world’s second shingles vaccine developed in 2017.

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