Kim Baek-min, professor at Pukyong National University's College of Environmental and Marine Sciences, Kim Jae-kyung, CI of the Mathematical Biology Group at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) and associate professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), and Park Ki-deok, head of the Brain Science Institute at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), will receive the Scientist of the Year Award chosen by science reporters this year.
The Korea Science Journalists Association said on the 18th that it had selected three people, including Kim, as winners of the Scientist of the Year Award chosen by reporters.
Professor Kim Baek-min has produced outstanding results in research on polar climate change, including Arctic cold waves, and has contributed to building social consensus on the climate crisis phenomenon by actively communicating at the public's level of understanding when climate disasters occur.
Professor Kim Jae-kyung has published more than 100 SCI-level papers through convergence research in mathematics, life sciences, and artificial intelligence (AI), achieved KAIST's largest-ever technology transfer performance with sleep and circadian rhythm algorithms using mathematical modeling, and has worked to improve nationwide understanding of mathematics through broadcasting and other means.
Director Park Ki-deok has devoted himself to research on intractable brain diseases such as dementia, developed candidate drugs with far superior efficacy than existing ones, and signed a major technology export contract, earning recognition as a model for the industrialization of national science and technology, including grants-based institutes.
Recipients of the Science Communicator Award were also selected for contributing to science reporting by long being in charge of science public relations, actively supporting coverage, and providing diverse information.
The Science Communicator Award went to Shim Si-bo, head of the Planning and Cooperation Headquarters at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS); Ahn Ju-hyeon, a teacher at Jungdong High School; Lee Gwang-ryeol, professor in the Department of Chemistry at Korea University; Lee Seong-min, head of public relations at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI); Lee Hyo-jong, executive producer at Cookie Studio; Jang Byeong-yeong, Deputy Director in the Spokesperson's Office at the Korea Forest Service; and Jo Ara, head of public relations at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT).
The association selected Kim Yun-mi, an MBC reporter, as the winner of the Korea Science Journalist Award. Kim was recognized for analytical and fresh-angle projects using data, such as coverage of COVID-19 that introduced the reproduction number and reporting on solar power generation by comparing electricity demand curves, and for a series of reports this year on alleged hacks of mobile carriers that led to the formation of a joint public-private investigation team.
In the second-half Science Reporting Awards, the Sangheo Science Article Award went to Ko Jae-won of the Maeil Business Newspape, the Daedeoknet reporting team (Gil Ae-gyeong, Kim Ji-yeong, and Hong Jae-hwa), Shin Bang-sil of KBS, and Lee Seong-gyu of YTN, while the Merck Medical Article Award went to Science Donga (Kim Tae-hee and Kim So-yeon) and the Korea Daily Excellence Lab (Kim Hye-young, Son Young-ha, and Lee Seo-hyun).
The awards ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. on the 25th at Lotte Hotel Seoul, Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul.