Samsung Ho-Am Prize Cash Award Increased to 500 Million Won... Enhanced Recognition for Technical Talents

Implementation to Coincide with the 40th Anniversary of Founder Lee Byung-chull's Passing
Total Prize Money Expanded to 3 Billion Won Starting in 2027

The Ho-Am Foundation will significantly raise the cash prizes for each category of the Samsung Ho-Am Prize, Korea's most prestigious academic and arts award, from the current 300 million won to 500 million won.

The Ho-Am Foundation announced on August 5 that it has decided to increase the prize money awarded to Samsung Ho-Am Prize recipients. As a result, the total prize money across all six award categories will be drastically expanded from 1.8 billion won to 3 billion won. The new prize amount will be fully implemented starting from the 37th award ceremony in 2027, which marks the 40th anniversary of the passing of Samsung's founder, Lee Byung-chull, also known as Ho-Am.

2026 Samsung Ho-am Prize Award Ceremony Winners Group Photo. Ho-am Foundation

This decision aims to further enhance the recognition and support for outstanding individuals who have contributed to the advancement of humanity and to elevate the global stature of the Samsung Ho-Am Prize. Given that several recent recipients have also received globally recognized awards such as the Nobel Prize and Fields Medal, this prize increase is expected to encourage Korean scientists and researchers to pursue bold and challenging studies, as well as to promote public interest in pure arts and social service fields.

The Samsung Ho-Am Prize was established in 1990 by the late chairman Lee Kun-hee to honor the founding chairman Lee Byung-chull's spirit of national service through business and his belief in valuing talent above all. The six award fields are Science Prize in Physics/Mathematics, Science Prize in Chemistry/Life Sciences, Engineering Prize, Medicine Prize, Arts Prize, and Community Service Prize. Since the inaugural ceremony in 1991, a total of 188 laureates have been honored as of the 36th ceremony this year, with cumulative prize money reaching 37.9 billion won.

Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, has attended the Samsung Ho-Am Prize award ceremony for five consecutive years since 2022, celebrating and congratulating the recipients and their families. He proposed expanding the awards with the intention of increasing support for basic science, thereby strengthening the technological and industrial foundations and ultimately enhancing the nation's competitiveness. During the closing ceremony of the International Skills Olympiad held in Lyon, France in 2024, Chairman Lee emphasized, "The sweat of young technical talents is the foundation of South Korea’s technological prowess."

Hwang-sik Kim, Chairman of the Ho-Am Foundation, stated, "With this prize increase, we look forward to seeing more excellent candidates—who have achieved global success and are active in diverse sectors—being actively nominated. We also hope that outstanding individuals who quietly dedicate themselves to research, creative work, and the noble spirit of service will become better known throughout our society, both in Korea and abroad."

Meanwhile, the Ho-Am Foundation is accepting nominations for the 37th Samsung Ho-Am Prize until the end of October this year. Detailed information can be found on the official website of the Ho-Am Foundation. The final list of recipients, selected through a multi-stage review by domestic and international experts, will be announced in April 2027, with the award ceremony scheduled for June of the same year.

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