Professors Kim Yoon-hee and Park Jong-bok of Gyeongsang National University Appointed as Regular Members of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea

Professor Kim Yoonhee Establishes Herself as a World-Leading Researcher in Organic Electronic Materials
Professor Park Jongbok Recognized for Outstanding Research Capabilities in Technology Transfer and Commercialization

Professors Kim Yoon-hee and Park Jong-bok of Gyeongsang National University (from left)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Professor Kim Yoon-hee (58) of the Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences at Gyeongsang National University, and Professor Park Jong-bok (52) of the Department of Business Administration, College of Commerce, have been appointed as regular members of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea.

The National Academy of Engineering of Korea is a special corporation established by a special law to discover and honor outstanding engineers and technologists who have made remarkable contributions to the development of engineering and technology in academia, industry, and government agencies, and to contribute to the continuous development of engineering and technology.

The term of office for the newly selected regular members of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea is three years, from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2024, with the possibility of renewal after review. Membership certificates will be distributed at the regular general meeting scheduled for March 22.

Professor Kim Yoon-hee was elected as one of the 12 members in the field of chemical and biological engineering. Professor Kim has established herself as a world-class researcher in the development of organic electronic materials through decades of research in the field of organic semiconductors.

The world-class materials developed have greatly contributed to the advancement of science and technology through collaboration with outstanding domestic and international research teams.

Furthermore, the developed technologies have been actively applied industrially through exchanges with industry. Based on the results obtained from years of research and development, Professor Kim has not only enhanced national industrial competitiveness by acquiring joint patents domestically and internationally with several Korean companies but also led the improvement of technological competitiveness of local industries through material and technology transfer with local community companies.

Professor Kim’s research area focuses on the development of organic semiconductor materials for organic electronic materials, which are flexible and lightweight. She has developed numerous blue light-emitting materials with world-class high efficiency and high color purity characteristics, as well as polymer and small molecule materials for next-generation high-efficiency solar cells, and p-type and n-type organic semiconductors with the world’s highest mobility applicable to flexible displays and sensors.

Since 2011, Professor Kim has served as the director of the Gyeongsang National University/Samsung Display Human Resources Development Center and the head of the Future Talent Development Project Group for BK21+ and the 4th phase BK21 project. She is active as an advisory member for materials, parts, and equipment technology at the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Science and Technology Advisory Council, a member of the Gyeongsangnam-do Science Promotion Committee, and has served as executive director and vice president of the Korean Polymer Society, as well as chairperson of the Polymer Chemistry Division and the Women’s Division of the Korean Chemical Society.

Professor Park Jong-bok was elected as one of the 13 members in the field of technology management policy.

Professor Park has been recognized for his top-level research capabilities in the fields of ‘technology transfer and commercialization’ and ‘entrepreneurship and startup.’

In particular, his 2013 paper titled “An Exploratory Study on the Characteristics of Technology Commercialization in Korean Companies” produced key statistics such as the “success rate by stage of technology commercialization,” a funnel theory of Korean-style technological innovation, categorized by major industries. In 2020, his paper titled “Measures to Revitalize Angel Investment in Startup Companies” proposed policy tasks to revitalize the stagnant venture startup ecosystem.

Professor Park’s main research areas include technology transfer and commercialization in universities and public research institutes, technology innovation and commercialization originating from small and medium-sized enterprises, and entrepreneurship and startups.

Due to the nature of his research fields, Professor Park has devoted himself not only to academic research but also to policy research.

As a result, many of his research findings have been directly or indirectly reflected in government policy formulations such as the “Technology Transfer and Commercialization Promotion Plan” and the “Small Business Startup Support Plan.”

Professor Park joined the Department of Business Administration at Gyeongsang National University in 2012 after working at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade (KIET). Since 2021, he has served as dean of the College of Commerce and director of the Graduate School of Entrepreneurship.

His external activities include serving as a member of the Mechanical Materials Expert Committee, Evaluation Expert Committee, and SME Expert Committee under the National Science and Technology Council, a member of the Public Institution Management Evaluation Team at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, a specialist at the National Research Foundation’s National Policy Research Headquarters, and vice president of the Korean Entrepreneurship Society.

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