Sudang Foundation Awards 200 Million Won Prize to POSTECH Professors Hyunwoo Lee and Gilwon Jo with 'Sudang Prize'

Samyang Group Scholarship Foundation Awards Ceremony
Presented Annually to Two Scholars Contributing to Domestic Academic Development

Sudang Foundation, the scholarship foundation of Samyang Group, announced on the 30th that it has selected Professor Lee Hyun-woo of the Department of Physics at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) and Professor Cho Gil-won of the Department of Chemical Engineering as this year’s Sudang Award recipients, awarding each with a prize of 200 million KRW and a plaque.

From the left) Kim Yoon, Chairman of the Sudang Foundation, Lee Hyun-woo, POSTECH professor and spouse, Jo Gil-won, professor and spouse, and Jin Jeong-il, Chairman of the Sudang Award Steering Committee, are posing for a commemorative photo at the 33rd Sudang Award ceremony.
[Photo by Samyang Group]

The Sudang Award was established in 1973 to support researchers who have contributed to the advancement of academic studies in Korea, selecting two recipients annually. Professor Lee, chosen as the awardee in the basic science category, is a physicist who has researched spintronics (Spintronics: electronics using the spin of electrons), a next-generation semiconductor engineering field, for 20 years. He was recognized for providing the theoretical foundation for the emergence of a new academic field called spin-orbitronics and for experimentally verifying theoretical predictions, contributing to the domestic academic community’s rise to world-class status in this field.

Professor Lee expressed his gratitude, saying, "I will repay the honor of this award by setting an example for the younger generation through academic research and creating an environment where they can grow."

Professor Cho, selected as the awardee in the applied science category, received the award for his original research on next-generation semiconductor materials such as organic semiconductors and polymer nano-surface technology. His work has led to technological innovation in organic electronic materials and contributed to the development of next-generation flexible display technology by applying these materials to flexible electronic devices.

Professor Cho said, "As a polymer scientist, I am very honored to contribute to the development of Korea’s polymer and organic electronic materials fields and to help elevate Korea’s academic status globally. I will continue to devote myself to research to achieve even greater results in my field and to nurture excellent future scholars."

The Sudang Award began in 1973 as the Sudang Science Award operated by Kyungbang Education Foundation until its 14th ceremony. In 2006, the Sudang Foundation expanded the award categories to natural sciences and humanities and social sciences, renaming it the current Sudang Award. After receiving nominations in three categories?basic science, humanities and social sciences, and applied science?two researchers with outstanding achievements regardless of category are selected and awarded.

Kim Yoon, Chairman of the Sudang Foundation, stated, "This year’s awardees have left a significant mark on national and social development by dedicating themselves to research over a long period with perseverance and intense self-improvement despite numerous studies and failures. We look forward to them continuing the spirit of nurturing talent through excellent research achievements and mentoring future scholars."