The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science & Creativity (KOSAC) announced on the 30th that all four members of the Korean delegation won medals (1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze) at the 36th International Biology Olympiad. The event was held in Quezon City, Philippines, from July 20 to 27.
A total of 298 students from 77 countries participated in the 36th International Biology Olympiad, marking the highest number of participating countries since Korea first took part in 1998. The Korean delegation's Ahn Young-min (3rd year, Daegu Science High School) won a gold medal, Kim Hyun-woong (3rd year, Seoul Science High School) and Park Sung-joon (3rd year, Seoul Science High School) won silver medals, and Yoon Jung (3rd year, Daegu Science High School) won a bronze medal.
The competition was conducted through theoretical assessments and experimental evaluations, with each evaluation contributing 50% to the total score. The theoretical assessment consisted of 85 questions in the fields of biological classification, cell biology and molecular biology, ecology, animal behavior, genetics and evolution, animal morphology and physiology, and plant morphology and physiology, with 37 questions in the morning and 48 questions in the afternoon, conducted over a total of 5 hours and 30 minutes. The experimental evaluation included questions from ecology and classification, cell and molecular biology, biomedical science, and microbiology, with each field assessed for 90 minutes, totaling 6 hours. The evaluation comprehensively assessed knowledge and scientific thinking in life sciences, reflecting the latest research trends in life sciences, including biomedical science.
Chairperson Kim Jae-geun of the Korean Society for Biology Education and the Korean Biology Olympiad, who led the Korean delegation, noted, "It was truly enjoyable to see the national representatives studying life sciences and happily interacting with representatives from other countries at the international competition, and I felt that the future of domestic life sciences is bright." He added, "I hope they continue to study joyfully and develop their talents through exchanges with one another."