Winners of the 26th Beomseok Award: Professors Park Sangmin and Kim Won of Seoul National University

Professor Sangmin Park of Seoul National University (left), Professor Won Kim of Seoul National University.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The Beomseok Academic Scholarship Foundation announced on the 8th that Professors Park Sang-min and Kim Won of Seoul National University have been selected as the recipients of the 26th Beomseok Award.

Professor Park, who won the Beomseok Thesis Award, conducted a nationwide cohort study on "The combined effects of fine dust and exercise on cardiovascular disease in young adults in their 20s and 30s," confirming how the risk of cardiovascular disease changes when exercise levels vary according to different fine dust concentration levels.

The judging committee explained the selection reason, stating, "It is significant because the research actively builds a health, medical, and environmental convergence database and empirically demonstrates that such research methods can serve as a foundation for new evidence-based medicine."

Professor Kim, who received the Beomseok Medical Award given to individuals or organizations with outstanding academic and social service achievements in the health and medical fields, was highly praised for his unique research in the domestic field of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, making significant academic and public health contributions.

Professor Kim has published and elucidated, for the first time worldwide in prestigious journals, the mechanisms of occurrence and potential treatments of lean fatty liver, which is more common among Asians, and has accumulated numerous research achievements in translational research on fatty liver and precision medicine.

The awardees each received a certificate and a prize of 20 million won. Park Joon-sook, chairman of the foundation, said, "Thanks to researchers who have devoted themselves day and night to advancing medicine and promoting public health, South Korea has been able to join the ranks of advanced medical countries," adding, "The Beomseok Academic Scholarship Foundation will continue to do its best to help researchers contribute not only to academic and national development but also to the progress of human society."