Chairman Lee Jae-yong Attends Ho-Am Prize Ceremony for 5th Consecutive Year...Reinforces 'Talent Management' Leadership (Comprehensive)

Upholding the Values of National Service and Talent First in Management
Key Executives Including Jun Young-hyun and Roh Tae-moon Gather for the Event
Science Prize Expanded and Reorganized at Chairman Lee's Proposal

On June 1, Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, made an appearance at the Samsung Ho-Am Prize Awards Ceremony. For the fifth consecutive year, Chairman Lee personally attended the event, reaffirming his commitment to upholding Samsung's core values of prioritizing talent and contributing to the nation through business.

Yonhap News Agency

That afternoon, Chairman Lee visited the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, where the 36th Samsung Ho-Am Prize Awards Ceremony for 2026 was held, to congratulate and encourage the winners. He arrived at the venue before the ceremony began and entered without making any public remarks. Chairman Lee has attended the awards ceremony for five consecutive years, from 2022 to this year.

This year’s ceremony was attended by Chairman Lee, the awardees’ families and acquaintances, and presidents of Samsung affiliates, totaling over 270 participants. Key executives such as Jun Young-hyun, Vice Chairman and Head of the Device Solutions (DS) Division overseeing Samsung Electronics' semiconductor business, and Roh Tae-moon, President and Head of the Device Experience (DX) Division in charge of mobile, home appliances, and TV businesses, were also present.

Other executives in attendance included Park Yong-in, President and Head of the System LSI Business at Samsung Electronics DS Division; Kim Yong-gwan, President and Head of Business Strategy at Samsung Electronics DS Division; Song Jae-hyuk, President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Samsung Electronics DS Division; Lee Won-jin, President and Head of the Visual Display (VD) Business at Samsung Electronics; Oh Jun-ho, Head of Future Robot Task Force at Samsung Electronics; Choi Joo-sun, President of Samsung SDI; Jang Deok-hyun, President of Samsung Electro-Mechanics; and Lee Cheong, President of Samsung Display.

The Samsung Ho-Am Prize was established in 1990 by the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee of Samsung to recognize individuals who have made outstanding achievements in the fields of science, engineering, medicine, the arts, and social contribution. To date, a total of 188 winners have received combined prize money of 37.9 billion won.

In particular, the Samsung Ho-Am Prize was significantly expanded and reorganized in 2021 to enhance support for basic science in Korea, following Chairman Lee’s proposal. The Ho-Am Foundation split the science prize, which had previously been awarded to a single recipient, into two separate categories: Physics·Mathematics and Chemistry·Life Sciences. This increased the number of awardees in the science field.

Samsung Ho-Am Prize winners are taking a commemorative photo at the 2026 Samsung Ho-Am Prize Award Ceremony held on the 1st at Dynasty Hall, Shilla Hotel, Seoul. From the left, Seongjin Oh, Professor of UC Berkeley, Physics and Mathematics Division, Science Prize; Taesik Yoon, Professor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Chemistry and Life Sciences Division, Science Prize; Beomman Kim, Emeritus Professor of POSTECH, Engineering Prize; Eva Hoffmann, Professor at the University of Copenhagen, Medicine Prize; Sumi Jo, Vocalist, Arts Prize; Dongchan Oh, Medical Director at National Sorokdo Hospital, Social Service Prize. Ho-Am Foundation

This year’s winners by category were: Oh Seongjin, Professor at UC Berkeley (Science Prize - Physics·Mathematics); Yoon Taesik, Professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison (Science Prize - Chemistry·Life Sciences); Kim Beomman, Emeritus Professor at POSTECH (Engineering Prize); Eva Hoffmann, Professor at the University of Copenhagen (Medicine Prize); Su-mi Cho, Soprano (Arts Prize); and Oh Dongchan, Medical Director at the National Sorokdo Hospital (Social Contribution Prize). Each laureate received a certificate, a medal, and prize money of 300 million won, totaling 1.8 billion won distributed among the awardees.

Hwang-sik Kim, Chairman of the Ho-Am Foundation, stated, "It is a great joy and pride to honor recipients whose outstanding achievements have earned them the distinction of the Ho-Am Prize. We highly commend their meaningful accomplishments, which have contributed to the advancement of science, technology, and the arts, and to creating a warmer world with their creative intellects, academic passion, and unwavering spirit of service."

Honglim Yoo, President of Seoul National University, remarked, "The Ho-Am Prize embraces the fields of academics, the arts, and social service, collectively celebrating reason, practice, and beauty, which are fundamental values of the human spirit. Even in rapidly changing times, the pursuit of truth and the effort to realize human dignity will continue to drive the progress of human civilization."

Oh Seongjin, Professor and recipient of the Science Prize, said, "For someone who didn't even know what a mathematician was 20 years ago, this award is an unimaginable dream come true. Thanks to my mentors and colleagues, the fear of the unknown turned into excitement, and I will continue my research in pure mathematics to become a small beacon for others embarking on their own adventures."

Eva Hoffmann, winner of the Medicine Prize, stated, "With the support of dedicated colleagues and institutions that guaranteed the freedom of research, I was able to uncover the mechanisms behind egg cell chromosomal abnormalities and gain new insights. I dedicate this honor to my Danish parents who raised me, to my biological family in Korea whom I found after a long wait, to fellow overseas adoptees still searching for their roots, and to the people of Korea."

Su-mi Cho, who received the Arts Prize, shared, "Even through lonely and intense times, I have maintained my faith in music and life and have constantly challenged myself to broaden the boundaries between classical and popular music. As I mark the 40th anniversary of my debut, I will continue to walk this path with the belief that music is ultimately for people and the nation, and I look forward to sharing it with even more people."

Oh Dongchan, Medical Director and recipient of the Social Contribution Prize, commented, "I will continue to devote myself to providing medical care for Hansen’s disease patients both in Korea and abroad, remembering my mother’s words to treat them with warmth as if they were our own family, and to inform everyone that those affected by Hansen’s disease are simply our ordinary neighbors without any contagiousness."

Meanwhile, the Ho-Am Foundation plans to host a special youth lecture on July 4 at the Daejeon Convention Center, inviting Nobel laureates and Ho-Am Prize winners. The event will consist of lectures on the journeys of the world's top scholars in scientific research and the future of youth, as well as a Q&A session for direct interaction with young participants.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.