Hubo, Uri-byul, Honcheon Clock... 23 Korean Science and Technology Heritage Items Newly Registered

A total of 115 National Important Science and Technology Materials registered, surpassing 100 since the system launched in 2019
The National Science Museum preserves achievements in robotics, space, nuclear energy, and traditional science and technology

Records documenting the development of Hubo, Korea’s first fully realized bipedal humanoid robot, and Uri-byul, the country’s first satellite, as well as Honcheon Clock, an astronomical instrument from the Joseon Dynasty, have been newly registered as National Important Science and Technology Materials. Heritage showing the development of Korean science and technology—from modern robotics and space technology to traditional astronomy and natural history—has been added to the list of materials preserved and managed at the national level.

A file photo to help readers understand the article. Team KAIST members examine HUBO's movements. Photo provided by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

The National Science Museum announced that it has selected 23 National Important Science and Technology Materials for 2026 and will hold a ceremony to present certificates and plaques at 2 p.m. on November 10. With these new registrations, the total number of National Important Science and Technology Materials will rise from 92 to 115. For the first time since the registration system was introduced in 2019, the cumulative number of registered materials has exceeded 100.

The registration system for National Important Science and Technology Materials is designed to identify and preserve heritage that has contributed to the development of science and technology in Korea and is valuable enough to be passed on to future generations. Materials are evaluated comprehensively for their scientific and technological originality, historical significance, and potential educational use. Final registration follows document review, on-site inspection, preliminary review, public comment, and comprehensive review.

This year, many materials illustrating the development of Korean robotics were selected. They include Hubo (KHR-3), Korea’s first fully realized bipedal humanoid robot; Maru and Ara, humanoid robots based on wireless networks; an industrial six-axis articulated robot, which marked the beginning of self-reliance in industrial robotics technology; and Crabster (CR200), Korea’s first underwater walking robot.

In astronomy and space, the selected materials include records related to Uri-byul, documenting the development and operation of Korea’s first satellite, and the 61-centimeter telescope at Sobaeksan Observatory, which laid the foundation for modern observational astronomy in Korea. Also included are Chubo Cheoprye, used for astronomical and calendar calculations in the late Joseon Dynasty, and Honcheonui and Honcheon Clock, which combined Western clockmaking technology with traditional East Asian astronomical instruments.

In nuclear energy, the selected materials include documents on the development of the SMART standard design, which demonstrate the achievements of an integral reactor that houses major components in a single reactor vessel, and a centrifugal atomization device developed to produce nuclear fuel powder as part of efforts to localize nuclear fuel for research reactors.

Traditional science and technology materials registered include a coastal map of Hamgyeong Province documenting coastal terrain and water depths, and Jeungsu Muwonrok Eonhae, a Korean-language text compiling forensic knowledge needed for examining bodies and determining causes of death.

In natural history, the selections include preserved specimens of aquatic biological resources from North Korea, collected more than 100 years ago, and specimens of Janggunseok, the first new mineral discovered and named by a Korean scholar and internationally recognized. The specimens of aquatic organisms from North Korea are significant because they can be used to study the biodiversity and ecological environment of the northern Korean Peninsula in the past.

Other materials registered as National Important Science and Technology Materials include records related to the founding of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, the predecessor of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST); the inaugural issue of the English-language journal of the Korean Chemical Society (BKCS); and Korea’s first low-voltage transmission electron microscope.

To mark the milestone of exceeding 100 registered materials, the National Science Museum will also hold a special exhibition titled “Our Future Drawn Through Science and Technology.” The exhibition will showcase original materials registered as National Important Science and Technology Materials, including Sihyeonseo, a calendar from the Joseon Dynasty; Pyeonghonui and Ganhpyeongui, portable astronomical instruments; Hubo, a humanoid robot; and a Korean-developed fully electronic switching system.

Lee Eun-young, director of the National Science Museum, said, “We will continue to identify, manage, and preserve materials of significance to the development of our science and technology, while working to promote and disseminate the challenges and development processes of researchers through a variety of content.”

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