On September 7, the Ministry of Science and ICT held a ceremony at the Fairmont Ambassador Seoul in Yeouido, Seoul, to celebrate the '2026 Technology Development Day' and awarded the Science and Technology Medal.
Samsung Electronics Vice President Lee Jin-yeop, HK Innoen Vice President Song Geun-seok, and SK Hynix Vice President Jang Ji-eun received the Science and Technology Medal.
The event aimed to establish a societal atmosphere that respects science and technology professionals and was designated as a national commemorative day for the first time this year.
Attendees included Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, Song Gi-heon, Chairman of the Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, National Assembly member Choi Hyung-doo, and Koo Hyuk-chae, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT.
During the ceremony, the government presented 55 awards for contributions to private research and development and technology management, 35 Vice Minister commendations, and 11 Excellent Researcher Awards from the Korea Industrial Technology Association.
The awards for contributions to Technology Development Day were given to corporate researchers and companies that have dedicated themselves to national industrial development and enhancing technological competitiveness over the long term.
Among the awards, the Science and Technology Innovation Medal was awarded to Lee Jin-yeop of Samsung Electronics, Jang Ji-eun of SK Hynix, and Song Geun-seok of HK Innoen.
Lee was recognized for his role in the world’s first mass production of 1Gb NAND flash memory and the development of vertical NAND flash memory, earning him the Science and Technology Innovation Medal (second grade).
The Science and Technology Excellence Medal (third grade) was awarded to Song for overcoming the limitations of existing pre-meal dosing and delayed efficacy in treating gastrointestinal diseases.
Jang also received the Science and Technology Excellence Medal for developing ultra-high-capacity server DRAM memory and low-power, high-bandwidth mobile memory.
A total of four Science and Technology Awards were presented, with recipients including Ko Gi-ok, Team Leader of Flight Control Laws at Korea Aerospace Industries, Ryu Jin-ho, Researcher at POSCO, Park Woo-jin, Head of Global Product Development at LS Electric, and Lee Ho-ki, Head of the Eco-Friendly Research Center at Samsung Heavy Industries.
Thirteen individuals, including Ahn Byung-woon, Head of Research at Park Systems, received Presidential Commendations, while seven companies, including CN1, were recognized in the group category.
In the Prime Minister's Commendation, 20 individuals, including Heo Seon-a, CEO of Hyper Neurotech, were honored in the individual category, and eight companies, including A-Tech, were recognized in the group category.
In the Corporate Research and Technology Promotion category, 25 individuals, including Park Tae-jeo, Vice President of Justem, were awarded in the individual category, while ten companies, including SNC Lab, received recognition in the group category.
The Excellent Researcher Award was given to 11 individuals from corporate research institutes who successfully executed research and development projects and are expected to grow into next-generation F&D leaders.
Prime Minister Han Seung-soo expressed gratitude to the 450,000 technology developers in South Korea, stating, "Technology developers are the driving force behind the country's economy." He added, "The government will strive to create an environment where technology developers are not afraid of failure."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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