Ministry of Science and ICT Holds “Science and Information and Communication Day” Ceremony, Presents Government Awards to 164 Recipients

Order of Science and Technology Innovation Awarded to Professors Kim Vinnaeri and Kim Jeongsang

Prime Minister Kim Minseok delivers a commemorative speech at the 2026 Science and Information and Communications Day ceremony held at the Korea Science and Technology Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 21st. Photo by Yonhap News

The Ministry of Science and ICT held the "Science and Information and Communications Day Ceremony" at the Korea Science and Technology Center on the afternoon of the 21st under the theme "A Great Leap Forward for Korea through Science, Technology, and AI," awarding government commendations to 164 individuals for their contributions to the fields of science, technology, and information and communications.

This ceremony was organized to commemorate the 59th Science Day (April 21) and the 71st Information and Communications Day (April 22), aiming to enhance the pride and honor of science and information and communications professionals by recognizing those who have contributed to the advancement of science and ICT, as well as to the evaluation of national R&D achievements. The event was hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Broadcasting, Media, and Communications Committee, and organized by the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies and the Korea Information and Communications Association.

The event was attended by Prime Minister Kim Minseok, First Vice Minister of Science and ICT Koo Hyuk-chae, President of the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies Kwon Onam, President of the ICT Association No Junhyeong, and other key figures in science, technology, and information and communications. Out of a total of 164 honorees, including those recognized for their contributions to the advancement of science, technology, and information and communications, as well as for national R&D achievement evaluations, 148 received their awards in person at the ceremony.

In the field of science and technology promotion, the government awarded honors to a total of 89 individuals, including 28 Orders of Science and Technology Merit, 11 Medals of Science and Technology Merit, 22 Presidential Citations, and 28 Prime Minister’s Citations.

This year, there were a total of 28 Orders of Science and Technology Merit, which is two more than last year. The highest grade, the Order of Science and Technology Merit – Changjo (First Class), was awarded to two individuals. Professor Kim Vinnari of Seoul National University received the award for her pioneering research in RNA, including elucidating the regulatory mechanism of RNA, developing RNA-based therapies, and mapping coronavirus genomes, making significant contributions to the field of life sciences.

Additionally, Kim Jeongsang, Distinguished Professor at Duke University in the United States, was honored for being the first in the world to introduce a large-scale, system-expandable ion-trap structure that precisely controls atoms with light (laser), thereby securing a key technology for the commercialization of quantum computers.

Recipients of the Order of Science and Technology Merit – Innovation (Second Class) included nine individuals, such as Kim Jangwoo, CEO of MangoBoost Korea, who contributed to the development of the world's highest-performing AI data processing semiconductor, and Professor Cha Miyeong of KAIST, who has tackled a variety of social challenges such as fake news and poverty detection through AI and big data. In addition, a total of 28 individuals were awarded Orders of Science and Technology Merit across various fields, including seven recipients of the Order of Science and Technology Merit – Ungbi (Third Class), seven recipients of the Order of Science and Technology Merit – Leap (Fourth Class), and three recipients of the Order of Science and Technology Merit – Progress (Fifth Class).

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