Samsung Hoam Prize Winners Announced: Six Honorees Including Mathematician Seongjin Oh and Soprano Sumi Cho

The Hoam Foundation announced the selection of the '2026 Samsung Hoam Prize Winners' on April 1, 2026. This year's laureates were chosen for their innovative achievements in science, engineering, medicine, the arts, and social service, all of whom have contributed to the advancement of human civilization and the improvement of quality of life.

The winners are: Seongjin Oh (37), professor at UC Berkeley, USA, in the Physics and Mathematics category of the Science Prize; Taesik Yoon (51), professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, in the Chemistry and Life Sciences category of the Science Prize; Beomman Kim (79), professor emeritus at POSTECH, for the Engineering Prize; Eva Hoffman (51), professor at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, for the Medical Science Prize; Sumi Cho (63), soprano, for the Arts Prize; and Dongchan Oh (58), head of medical department at National Sorokdo Hospital, for the Social Service Prize, making a total of six honorees. Each recipient in their respective field will receive a certificate, a medal, and a cash prize of 300 million won. The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on June 1, 2026.

The laureates were selected through a rigorous four-month evaluation process, which included a judging panel composed of 46 leading experts from Korea and abroad, including Nobel laureates, a 45-member advisory committee comprised entirely of international scholars, and on-site verification. Notably, this year’s winners represent a broad range of generations, from their 30s to their 70s, and come from diverse backgrounds.

On the 1st, the Ho-Am Foundation selected and announced the "2026 Samsung Ho-Am Prize" recipients. From the left: Oh Sungjin (37), Professor of Physics and Mathematics at UC Berkeley, USA, Yoon Taesik (51), Professor of Chemistry and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin?Madison, USA, Kim Bumman (79), Emeritus Professor at POSTECH, Eva Hoffman (51), Professor at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Sumi Jo (63), Soprano, and Oh Dongchan (58), Medical Director at National Sorokdo Hospital. A total of six recipients were awarded. Ho-Am Foundation.

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In the academic categories, globally renowned Korean scholars were recognized for overcoming the boundaries of science and technology through creative research, expanding academic horizons, and generating far-reaching impacts in fields such as industry and medicine. In the arts category, a soprano who has elevated the global standing of Korean vocal music through a distinguished career on the world’s opera stages was honored. In the social service category, an individual who has devoted more than 30 years to serving Hansen’s disease patients was selected for embodying humanitarian values.

Seongjin Oh, professor at UC Berkeley, USA, the winner in the Physics and Mathematics category of the Science Prize, is recognized as "the mathematician who unveiled the secrets of black holes." He is acclaimed for resolving the instability phenomena inside black holes using nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations, thereby making a breakthrough in solving fundamental problems in mathematics and physics. For his contributions in mathematically addressing challenges related to the general theory of relativity, he has also been invited as a plenary speaker at the 2026 International Congress of Mathematicians.

Taesik Yoon, professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, the recipient in the Chemistry and Life Sciences category of the Science Prize, is heralded as "a pioneer who opened a new era of green chemistry." He developed an innovative organic synthesis methodology that uses transition metals as photocatalysts to induce complex organic molecular bond-forming reactions with only low-energy visible light. This achievement overcame the limitations of conventional photochemistry, which relied on ultraviolet light, and established a new paradigm for sustainable green chemistry.

Beomman Kim, professor emeritus at POSTECH and winner of the Engineering Prize, is described as "a pioneer who laid the foundation for next-generation wireless communication technologies." He overcame the technological limitations of radio frequency power amplifiers and developed technology that simultaneously enables high efficiency, high linearity, and high output. This technology is widely applied in the design of mobile phones and mobile communication base station transmitters and is also expected to play a key role in future sixth-generation mobile communication systems.

Eva Hoffman, professor at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, who received the Medical Science Prize, is recognized as "a global authority in human reproductive research." She elucidated the principles of chromosomal segregation errors during meiosis in human oocytes, contributing to the understanding of the fundamental causes of infertility, miscarriage, and chromosomal disorders such as Down syndrome. Her research not only established an academic foundation for comprehending human reproductive processes but also opened new possibilities for developing treatments for related diseases.

Sumi Cho, the soprano honored with the Arts Prize, has spent 40 years performing leading roles on the world’s premier stages, including the New York Metropolitan Opera and the Vienna State Opera, earning acclaim as "the voice bestowed by the gods." Through the establishment of the Sumi Cho International Vocal Competition and activities as a UNESCO Artist for Peace, she has also contributed to international cultural exchange and the dissemination of messages of peace through music.

Dongchan Oh, head of medical department at National Sorokdo Hospital and recipient of the Social Service Prize, is a dentist who has treated Hansen’s disease patients on Sorokdo Island in Jeollanam-do for over 30 years, performing hundreds of surgeries, including self-developed lip reconstruction procedures. Since 2005, he has extended his medical volunteer work to countries such as the Philippines and Cambodia, contributing to the treatment of Hansen’s disease and improvement of related environments beyond national borders.

Since the first awards in 1991, the Hoam Foundation has celebrated a total of 188 laureates and granted a cumulative sum of 37.9 billion won in prize money through the 36th awards in 2026. The foundation also organizes annual lectures for youth nationwide. This year, the foundation will invite Didier Queloz, professor at ETH Zurich and recipient of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics, and Kyunghyun Cho, professor at New York University and a 2021 Hoam Prize laureate and world-renowned artificial intelligence (AI) expert, to give a lecture at the Daejeon Convention Center on July 4, 2026.

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