164 honorees acknowledged… Two recipients of the highest Order of Science and Technology Merit at Science and ICT Day ceremony: SNU Professor V. Narry Kim and Duke Professor Jungsang Kim
![Prime Minister Kim Min-seok poses for a commemorative photo after presenting a government award to Seoul National University Professor V. Narry Kim at the 2026 Science and ICT Day ceremony held on the 21st at the Korea Science and Technology Center in Gangnam, Seoul. [Yonhap]](https://wimg.mk.co.kr/news/cms/202604/21/news-p.v1.20260421.73ebb1afdba94a019fba156ef1b0c9ac_P1.jpg)
The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) held the ‘2026 Science and ICT Day Ceremony’ on the twenty first on the Korea Science and Technology Center in Gangnam, Seoul, and introduced authorities awards to 164 individuals for his or her contributions within the science, know-how, and ICT sectors. The high honor, the Order of Science and Technology Merit, went to Seoul National University Professor V. Narry Kim and Duke University Distinguished Professor Jungsang Kim.
The ceremony was organized below the theme, ‘A Great Leap Forward for Korea by way of Science, Technology, and Artificial Intelligence (AI),’ to strengthen the nation’s dedication to innovation.
Key attendees included Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, First Vice Minister of Science and ICT Koo Hyuk-chae, Oh Nam Kwon, president of The Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies (KOFST), and No Jun-hyung, president of the Korea Information and Communications Association (ICT Coalition).
In the science and know-how promotion class, a complete of 89 individuals acquired authorities awards, together with 28 medals, 11 orders, 22 presidential citations, and 28 prime ministerial citations.
The Order of Science and Technology Merit, the best grade, was awarded to Seoul National University Professor V. Narry Kim, who made main contributions to the life sciences by way of pioneering RNA analysis, together with uncovering the ideas of ribonucleic acid regulation, creating therapeutic applied sciences, and mapping the coronavirus genome.
![Prime Minister Kim Min-seok poses for a commemorative photo after presenting a government award to Duke University Distinguished Professor Jungsang Kim at the 2026 Science and ICT Day ceremony held on the 21st at the Korea Science and Technology Center in Gangnam, Seoul. [Yonhap]](https://wimg.mk.co.kr/news/cms/202604/21/news-p.v1.20260421.da2ed234ce5f4177aac25890eebe6200_P1.jpg)
Jungsang Kim, a Duke University Distinguished Professor within the United States, additionally acquired the award for being the primary on the earth to introduce a construction that enables large-scale system enlargement in trapped-ion quantum computing, a way that exactly controls atoms with gentle from lasers, and for securing a core know-how for the commercialization of quantum computer systems.
In the nationwide analysis and growth efficiency analysis class, 21 individuals acquired authorities awards, together with two medals, 5 orders, six presidential citations, and eight prime ministerial citations.
The Order of Science and Technology Merit, Ungbi Medal, went to Won Do Heo, a KAIST professor who led analysis in molecular optogenetics, which makes use of gentle to deal with mind illnesses. The Doyak Medal was awarded to Seoul National University Professor Ho-Kyung Kim, who developed know-how for putting in offshore floating infrastructure based mostly on new supplies.
In the ICT class, a complete of 54 individuals acquired authorities awards, together with six medals, six orders, 19 presidential citations, and 23 prime ministerial citations.
In addition, Hanyang University Professor Eun-Ok Baek acquired the Order of Service Merit for making use of AI to the bio and medical fields. Lee Jae-sik, CEO of Hangil Tongsin and president of the Korea Information and Communications Contractors Association, acquired the Bronze Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit for contributing to the enlargement of ICT infrastructure.
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.