All four members of the Korea delegation won medals in the individual institutional sector at the International Earth Science Olympiad.
The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science & Creativity (KOSAC) said that four Korean students who took part in the 19th International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO), held in Turin, Italy, from on the 20th to the 27th, won gold, silver and bronze medals in the individual written test.
This year's competition drew 169 students from 41 countries. From Korea, students Gong Yun-u (Gyeongnam Science High School, 3rd year), Na Hyo-chan (Gwangju Science High School, 2nd year), Park Jae-seong (Gyeongnam Science High School, 3rd year) and Seo Ha-jin (Gyeongsan Science High School, 2nd year) competed.
In the individual written test, student Na Hyo-chan won gold and student Seo Ha-jin won silver. Students Gong Yun-u and Park Jae-seong each took bronze.
The exam consisted of a theory test analyzing Earth system–related data and a practical test involving direct observation and analysis of minerals, rocks, rivers and outcrops around Turin.
In the International Team Field Investigation (ITFI), an outdoor inquiry task carried out by multinational student teams, teams that included Korean students also won medals. The team including students Park Jae-seong and Seo Ha-jin won silver, and the team including students Gong Yun-u and Na Hyo-chan won bronze.
In the Earth Systems Presentation (ESP), which involves researching and presenting on glacier melt and climate issues, the team including student Na Hyo-chan won gold, and the team including student Gong Yun-u won silver.
Park Young-shin, a professor at Chosun University who served as Director General of the Korea delegation, said, "It is a time when nurturing talent in earth science is more important than anything else to solve the climate crisis," adding, "I hope students will use this competition experience as a springboard to grow into world-class talent leading the earth science field."