Kyungpook National University Professors Sungjun Kim, Hyunwoong Park, and Dungeun Lee Selected for Top 100 R&D Achievements

Kyungpook National University announced that Professor Sungjun Kim from the Department of Medicine, Professor Hyunwoong Park from the School of Energy Engineering, and Professor Dungeun Lee from the School of Civil, Environmental and Energy Engineering have been selected for the "2025 National Research and Development Top 100 Achievements."

The National Research and Development Top 100 Achievements has been selected annually since 2006 to enhance public understanding and interest in the role of science and technology in driving national development, and to foster pride among scientists and engineers.

(From left) Sungjun Kim, Hyunwoong Park, and Dungeun Lee, professors at Kyungpook National University.

This year, a total of 100 research achievements were selected, including 17 in machinery and materials, 25 in life sciences and marine, 19 in energy and environment, 22 in information and electronics, 5 in pure basic research and infrastructure, and 12 in convergence.

Professor Sungjun Kim was recognized in the field of life sciences and marine for his research on "identifying how the coronavirus manipulates cellular energy production to enhance viral replication."

This study was the first in the world to reveal that abnormal regulation of mitochondrial-based energy metabolism during infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, plays a key role in viral replication. The research attracted attention for proposing new antiviral therapeutic strategies.

This achievement was also selected as one of the 12 "Top Achievements in Solving Social Issues" that the public can directly relate to.

In the field of energy and environment, the research achievements of Professor Hyunwoong Park and Professor Dungeun Lee were each selected.

Professor Hyunwoong Park presented a solar-powered seawater resource circulation technology that simultaneously produces domestic water, energy, and chemical fuels from seawater through his research on "the development of a hybrid system for desalination, water treatment, energy storage, and chemical production using solar energy."

He implemented a system that converts concentrated brine generated during the desalination process into resources, integrating water purification, energy storage, and chemical fuel production into a single system. A key feature is the proposal of an energy self-sufficient structure that can be utilized both day and night.

Professor Dungeun Lee, through his research on "the development of next-generation photocatalytic green hydrogen production technology based on Ti3C2 MXene nanocomposites," elucidated the interfacial chemistry of Ti3C2-based nanocomposites, significantly improving charge transfer efficiency and photocatalyst stability.

This photocatalyst technology is evaluated as a fundamental technology for improving urban environments, eco-friendly hydrogen production, and carbon reduction, as it can directly utilize solar energy to establish efficient energy production bases at offshore plants or waterfront facilities, or be applied in the form of photocatalyst paint to large building exteriors and roads.