The Ministry of Science and ICT (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon) announced that it held the ‘2026 Technology Developers Day’ ceremony on September 7 at the Fairmont Ambassador Seoul. As the first ceremony held since the day was newly designated as a statutory national commemorative day this year, the event was arranged to honor the dedication of 450,000 technology developers nationwide and to pledge a major leap forward for a science and technology-centered Republic of Korea.
 [코리안투데이] The ‘2026 Technology Developers Day’ ceremony © 장형임 기자 |
‘Technology Developers Day’ is a commemorative day intended to recognize the contributions of engineers and corporate researchers who have underpinned national economic growth and industrial development, thereby boosting their motivation to conduct research and establishing a social climate in which scientists and engineers are respected. Previously held as a government-level commemorative event, it was elevated to a statutory national commemorative day this year, and this marks the first ceremony held since that elevation.
Technology developers refers to dedicated research personnel who work exclusively on research and development tasks at corporate research institutes. As of 2024, their number was estimated at about 450,000, exceeding 70 percent of the nation’s 610,000 research personnel. The corporate research institute recognition system provides companies that possess a certain research space and dedicated personnel with benefits such as R&D tax credits, participation in and additional points for national R&D projects, and the use of specialized research personnel. Since its introduction in 1981, the number has grown to roughly 70,000 as of June 2026, including some 40,000 corporate research institutes and some 30,000 dedicated R&D departments. The commemorative day carries great significance in that the nation officially honors the presence of those who have supported research and development throughout industrial worksites.
The ceremony was attended by key figures from industry, academia, and research circles, including Prime Minister Han Seong-sook, Song Ki-heon, chair of the National Assembly’s Science, Technology, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, Vice Minister of Science and ICT Koo Hyuk-chae, and Koo Ja-kyun, chairman of the Korea Industrial Technology Association. The awards consisted of 55 government awards (3 orders of merit, 4 medals, 20 Presidential Citations, and 28 Prime Minister’s Citations) presented to those who contributed to private-sector R&D and technology management, along with 35 Deputy Prime Minister’s Citations and 11 Outstanding Researcher Awards presented by the chairman of the Korea Industrial Technology Association.
In the Technology Developers Day merit category, 3 orders of merit, 4 medals, 20 Presidential Citations (13 individuals and 7 organizations), and 28 Prime Minister’s Citations (20 individuals and 8 organizations) were awarded. The Innovation Medal of the Order of Science and Technology Merit (second grade) went to Lee Jin-yeop, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics Co., who led the memory market with achievements such as the world’s first mass production of 1Gb NAND flash memory and the development of vertically stacked NAND flash memory (V-NAND). The Ungbi Medal (third grade) was awarded to Song Geun-seok, executive vice president of HK inno.N Corp., who spearheaded the development of a new drug overcoming the limitations of pre-meal dosing and delayed efficacy of existing gastrointestinal disease treatments, and to Jang Ji-eun, executive vice president of SK hynix Inc., who led the memory market in the AI server and mobile fields through the development of ultra-high-capacity server DRAM and low-power compact mobile memory.
Four people received the Science and Technology Medal. They were Ko Gi-ok, head of the flight control law team at Korea Aerospace Industries, who independently developed the flight control laws for the FA-50 light attack aircraft and the Korean fighter jet KF-21; Ryu Jin-ho, research fellow at POSCO Co., who led decarbonization Bridge technology that gradually reduces carbon emissions using existing blast furnace facilities as well as briquette manufacturing technology; Park Woo-jin, head of the global product development research center at LS Electric Co., who developed the nation’s first DC 1000V-class and the world’s first DC 1500V-class air circuit breakers; and Lee Ho-gi, head of the eco-friendly research center at Samsung Heavy Industries Co., who independently developed and commercialized a fuel supply system for vessels powered by eco-friendly alternative fuels.
In the individual category of the Presidential Citation, 13 people were honored, including An Byeong-un, director of the research institute at Park Systems Corp., who developed and commercialized an atomic force microscope-based semiconductor metrology and inspection system, while in the organization category, 7 companies were honored, including CNONE Co., which developed plasma atomic layer deposition equipment applying ultra-high frequencies. In the individual category of the Prime Minister’s Citation, 20 people were selected, including Heo Seon-a, CEO of Hyper Neurotech Co., who contributed to the localization of lightweight composite materials through the development of carbon composite frames, and in the organization category, 8 companies were selected, including ATEC Co., which localized core technologies for financial automation devices and developed smart and AI conversational machines.
In the corporate research technology promotion merit category, 35 Deputy Prime Minister’s Citations (25 individuals and 10 organizations) were awarded. In the individual category, 25 people were selected, including Park Tae-seo, executive vice president of JUSUNG Co., who contributed to optimizing production technology for highly integrated DRAM and 3D NAND flash through original semiconductor device and process technology, the localization of advanced equipment, and the development of humidity control technology. In the organization category, 10 companies were selected, including S&C Lab Co., which developed and commercialized the nation’s first automated accessibility diagnosis technology, contributing to bridging the information gap for digitally vulnerable groups. In addition, 11 Outstanding Researcher Awards (presented by the chairman of the Korea Industrial Technology Association), given to promising research personnel poised to grow into next-generation R&D leaders, were awarded together.
This ceremony, in which core achievements across the nation’s key industries such as semiconductors, steel, shipbuilding, and defense were widely recognized, holds significance in that the nation institutionally acknowledged and recorded the dedication of corporate researchers who had gone largely unnoticed. The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to use the elevation of this commemorative day as an opportunity to broaden a social atmosphere in which technology developers are respected.
지역 홍보대사 신청 기자양성과정 신청 코리안투데이 지부장 신청 코리안투데이 인천강화코리안브랜드대상 신청 최고경영인대상 신청 소비자만족도대상 신청
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