Professor Park Ki-hoon of Gyeongsang National University Awarded the Grand Prize at the Hanlim Food Science Awards

Professor Kihoon Park, Gyeongsang National University. (Photo by Gyeongsang National University)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Gyeongsang National University announced on the 24th that Professor Park Ki-hoon of the Department of Environmental Life Chemistry, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, received the 7th Daesang Hanlim Food Science Award.

The Daesang Hanlim Food Science Award was jointly established by Daesang and Hanlim Academy in 2015. It is awarded annually to food scientists who have achieved outstanding global research accomplishments.

Professor Park has conducted research producing the highly demanded "plant-based estrogen-rich" material from soybean leaves in the functional food ingredient market. He was selected as this year's recipient in recognition of his achievements pioneering a new paradigm in metabolite agriculture with innovative functional food materials. Metabolite agriculture refers to technology that dramatically increases the content of physiologically active marker substances in crops, converting them into high value-added functional food materials.

Professor Park elucidated the biosynthetic mechanism of plant-based estrogen promoted by ethylene and developed functional soybean leaves treated with ethylene that contain more than 100 times the active marker substances compared to regular soybean leaves. By registering patents for this technology not only in Korea but also in the United States, China, and Europe, he secured the original technology.

Professor Park has served as a specialist and adjunct researcher at the Rural Development Administration, a specialist at the Gyeongnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services, and a planning committee member for the National Research Foundation of Korea and the Rural Development Administration’s Technology Evaluation Institute. He has published over 200 academic papers on active metabolite research and is recognized as an authority in enzyme inhibitor development.

Through various academic society activities, he has contributed to the revitalization of Korea’s natural products chemistry field. Notably, as president of the Korean Society of Applied Biological Chemistry, he successfully hosted the 2018 international academic conference and contributed to the planning and establishment of the Asian Natural Products Society. He also participates in university management as dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and graduate school at Gyeongsang National University, serving to innovate graduate education.

Professor Park said, “The results of diligent research and experiments are leading to small achievements. This was possible thanks to the research, experiment, and practice environment at Gyeongsang National University,” adding, “I feel embarrassed as this award is too honorable compared to the extent of my research so far. I will support future scholars who will continue this research to grow.”