Yonsei University announced on the 25th that Professor Kim Jhoon of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences (Yonsei Yoonjae Fellow) has received the 'Exceptional Service Medal (EPSM)' from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The Exceptional Service Medal is the highest honor awarded by NASA to external individuals, given only to non-NASA personnel who have made outstanding contributions over a long period to achieve NASA missions and goals. The award ceremony is scheduled to be held on the 27th in Washington, D.C.
Professor Kim has closely collaborated with NASA for over 20 years, leading air quality research using satellite, aerial, and ground observations. In particular, he made a crucial contribution to the establishment of the world's first geostationary air quality monitoring network connecting Asia and North America by linking the National Institute of Environmental Research's GEMS, the world's first geostationary environmental satellite, with NASA's TEMPO mission. Over the past decade, Professor Kim has served as the project leader and research director from the planning stage of GEMS.
NASA evaluated, 'The GEMS-TEMPO collaboration established by Professor Kim Jhoon enabled early validation through collaboration on algorithm development and data sharing between the two satellites, which played a key role in NASA's rapid support for research and the Earth Action program.'
Additionally, Professor Kim has connected NASA with Korean researchers through international aviation observation campaigns such as KORUS-AQ in 2016 and ASIA-AQ in 2024, and has practically achieved multinational cooperation beyond satellites, including aircraft and vessel platforms. Furthermore, he contributed to expanding NASA's Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) and Pandora ground air quality monitoring networks into Korea and East Asia, establishing a foundation for verifying and interpreting global air quality satellite data.
Professor Kim Jhoon noted, 'This award is less a personal honor than a result of the trust and cooperation built together with NASA, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Science and ICT, Korean and international researchers, and my students.' He added, 'I believe this award was made possible by the efforts and dedication of many who cannot be here today, for whom I am only a representative.' He continued, 'I will continue to work with NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) to complete the global environmental satellite network and conduct research that contributes to improving the health and quality of life of people worldwide.'
The NASA Exceptional Service Medal is a very rare case for Korean researchers and is considered the highest honor for external individuals.