Science Award to Professor Jeong Se-young, Department of Optical Mechatronics Engineering, Pusan National University
Education Award to Principal Park Young-do, Suwon Jeil Lifelong School
Service Award to Lee Ho-taek, CEO of Shelter Corporat
POSCO Cheongam Foundation (Chairman Kim Seon-wook) announced that it held the 2024 POSCO Cheongam Awards ceremony at the POSCO Center on the 3rd.
At the ceremony, plaques and prize money of 200 million KRW each were awarded to Professor Jeong Se-young of the Department of Optical Mechatronics Engineering at Pusan National University for the Science Award, Principal Park Young-do of Suwon Jeil Lifelong School for the Education Award, and Lee Ho-taek, CEO of the nonprofit organization Pinancheo, for the Volunteer Service Award.
POSCO Cheongam Foundation held the 18th "2024 POSCO Cheongam Awards" ceremony on the 3rd at the POSCO Center. Photo by Gwangyang Steelworks
Kim Seon-wook, Chairman of the POSCO Cheongam Foundation, emphasized in his welcoming remarks, “Today, humanity faces serious global crises and challenges such as climate change, war, terrorism, and wealth polarization. Overcoming these times of crisis and achieving mutual coexistence urgently requires restoring the value of trust more than ever.” He added, “The POSCO Cheongam Foundation will strive to serve as a lighthouse that spreads the true value of trust demonstrated by the awardees and shines a light of hope to the world.”
Professor Jeong Se-young, recipient of the Science Award, is a physicist who first in the world elucidated the operating principle of metal oxidation at the atomic level.
He succeeded in producing copper single crystals as ultra-flat thin films at the level of a single atomic layer (0.2 nm), the thinnest in the world, using a self-developed technology, and discovered the new fact that copper thin films under these conditions do not oxidize at room temperature.
This research achievement has brought renewed attention to copper, which had been limited in use due to oxidation issues, as a semiconductor circuit material that can replace expensive gold.
In addition, he revealed new physical properties of single crystals expected to prevent oxidation in metals such as iron and nickel, receiving great expectations from both academia and industry.
Park Young-do, principal of Suwon Jeil Lifelong School and recipient of the Education Award, is a grassroots educator who has provided second educational opportunities for out-of-school youth and low-literate adults who missed learning opportunities for over 40 years, starting as a night school teacher during his university days in the 1980s.
Since 1996, as principal of Suwon Jeil Lifelong School, he has produced over 3,500 graduates including underprivileged youth, elderly adult learners, multicultural individuals, and people with disabilities.
He has personally donated funds to supplement the insufficient school operating budget and has run lifelong education programs. He continues to actively engage in educational activities to realize a society where educationally marginalized groups are not neglected.
Lee Ho-taek, CEO of the nonprofit organization Pinancheo and recipient of the Volunteer Service Award, is a social activist who has devoted over 30 years to the human rights of refugees residing in Korea under difficult conditions.
In 1999, he founded ‘Pinancheo,’ Korea’s first refugee support organization, playing a pioneering role in domestic refugee assistance.
Since 2011, he has directly operated refugee communal shelters, providing temporary housing for refugees entering Korea, while continuing multifaceted activities to ensure the safety and livelihood support of refugees residing in Korea, including legal aid, interpretation, meals, and medical care.
He notably contributed significantly to the enactment of the ‘Refugee Act’ in 2013, the first in an Asian country, laying the foundation for Korea’s refugee support history.
Since 2006, the POSCO Cheongam Foundation has established and awarded the POSCO Cheongam Awards to promote public interest and participation in POSCO’s founding philosophy of respect for creativity, talent, and volunteer spirit, contributing to national development. This year marks the 18th ceremony, with a total of 63 awardees to date.
The POSCO Cheongam Awards are presented in four categories: Science, Education, Volunteer Service, and Technology, with prize money of 200 million KRW awarded in each category.
The Science Award is given to Korean scientists based in Korea who have achieved creative accomplishments in natural sciences and engineering, enhancing national prestige and contributing to the advancement of science and technology.
The Education Award is given to individuals or organizations that have systematically implemented creative educational programs and spread them throughout the education sector. The Volunteer Service Award is given to individuals or organizations devoted to practicing love and sharing to improve the quality of life in human society. The award qualifications have been expanded to the Asian region in connection with the foundation’s core project, the Asia Fellowship.
The Technology Award is given to technologists who have developed and commercialized world-class technologies in academia, industry, and research, contributing to national industrial development. No recipient was selected for the Technology Award this year.
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