The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) announced on May 19 that it held a ceremony commemorating the 60th Invention Day at COEX Magok Le West Hall. The event was hosted by KIPO and organized by the Korea Invention Promotion Association.
Invention Day is a national commemorative day established in 1957 to mark the invention of the world's first rain gauge on May 19, 1441. This year’s ceremony, held under the theme “60 Years of Invention: Shaping Today, Dreaming of Tomorrow,” reflected on Korea’s history of creativity and innovation and highlighted the value of invention that will drive future industries.
During the ceremony, KIPO announced and presented awards for Inventor of the Year (one recipient), four special achievement awards in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Invention Day, and 80 merit awards for contributions to Invention Day.
This year’s Inventor of the Year (the 15th recipient) was Yoonhwa Choi, CEO of JMJECO Co., Ltd. CEO Choi was recognized for her contribution to leading the development of core components for next-generation smart industries?including electric vehicles, automation robots, and e-mobility?by developing a high-performance power semiconductor module featuring double-sided heat dissipation technology.
The Geumtap Industrial Medal for Invention Day merit was awarded to Kyunghoon Jeon, President of Samsung Electronics. President Jeon, as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the Device eXperience (DX) Division and Head of Samsung Research, was highly praised for overseeing research and development of future technologies such as next-generation mobile communication (including 6G) and artificial intelligence (AI), thereby enhancing Korea’s global standing in the market.
The Euntap Industrial Medal was awarded to Huijae Cho, Executive Vice President of LG Electronics, and Nakseop Sung, Executive Vice President of Hyundai Motor Company. Executive Vice President Cho was recognized for overseeing LG’s intellectual property (IP) organization, enabling LG to hold world-class patent rights and contributing to the protection of innovative product technologies through systematic IP strategies.
Executive Vice President Sung was acknowledged for his significant contribution to the advancement of the national automotive industry and strengthening the competitiveness of future mobility technologies by focusing investments on new business areas such as electrification, batteries, and autonomous driving, and by building a world-class patent portfolio of core automotive technologies through independent development.
To mark the 60th anniversary of Invention Day, KIPO established a new special achievement award to recognize individuals who have contributed to spreading the culture of invention, presenting the Commissioner’s Award to those honorees. The award was posthumously given to Kwon Doin, Kim Yonggwan, and Jung Inho for their contributions to Korea’s independence and technological development.
Kwon Doin was recognized as the first Korean to file a patent in the United States and as a patriot for independence. He developed inventions such as bamboo curtains, ran a furniture business, generated profits, and supported the independence movement with those funds. The award was received on his behalf by his grandson, Paul Stuart Arinaga, who traveled from Hawaii to Korea.
In addition, Junghee Choi, a researcher at the National Meteorological Museum, was included among the special achievement awardees for her contribution to elevating the rain gauge to the status of a national treasure and promoting the history of its invention.
KIPO also set up themed exhibition spaces at the venue, allowing attendees to view outstanding inventions by ancestors as well as the power semiconductor products invented by this year’s Inventor of the Year, providing a comprehensive overview of the history and evolution of invention.
Most notably, KIPO re-examined outstanding inventions by ancestors that were recently granted patents, from a patent perspective, offering attendees an opportunity to reflect on Korea’s unique creativity and technological prowess during the ceremony.
Wanki Kim, Commissioner of KIPO, stated, “KIPO will join forces with inventors so that invention can connect the past and present and become the driving force that opens a bright future for Korea.”
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