The Ho-Am Foundation (Chairman Hyun-Jae Lee, former Prime Minister) announced the 2012 Ho-Am Prize recipients on April 3rd.

This year's recipients in each field are
▲ Prize in Science Prof. Minhyong Kim (49, Univ. of Oxford/POSTECH), 
▲ Prize in Engineering Prof. Taeghwan Hyeon (48, Seoul National Univ.),
▲ Prize in Medicine  Prof. Jae Ung Jung (52, Univ. of Southern California),
▲ Prize in The Arts Composer Unsuk Chin (51, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra),   
▲ Prize in Community Service  Dr. Dong-han Lee (61, Chairman of Social Welfare Corporation Choon Kang)

□ The recipients were selected from candidates recommended by leading organizations and experts in each professional field through a strict 4-month evaluation by domestic and foreign scholars and experts, advisory opinions, and on-the-spot surveys. The finalists were then confirmed as the prize recipients through a final deliberation by the Ho-Am Prize Committee.

▶ Prof. Minhyong Kim, recipient of the Prize in Science, is one of the most highly recognized mathematicians in the field of Arithmetic Geometry. He has opened a whole new way of looking at a classical problem, namely that of solving equations, by developing an innovative theory.

▶ Prof. Taeghwan Hyeon, recipient of the Prize in Engineering, is a renowned world-class leader in the nanomaterials research and development field. He has pioneered numerous synthetic methods for producing inorganic nanocrystals and extended the applications of these in many other fields including nanomedicine and catalysis.

▶ Prof. Jae Ung Jung, recipient of the Prize in Medicine, is a leading expert in molecular biology. He has made medical research breakthroughs concerning how human viral pathogens replicate in their hosts and cause disease. His discoveries have laid the groundwork for eventual cures for virus-induced cancers.

▶ Composer Unsuk Chin, recipient of the Prize in The Arts, is one of the world's top composers who have been leading new trends in modern music. She has contributed to further elevating the pride and artistic status of the Korean people through outstanding musicality and energetic activation of creative music development.

▶ Chairman Dong-han Lee, winner of the Prize in Community Service, is highly regarded for his contribution to the advancement of the rights and welfare of the disabled. Despite his physical own disabilities, he has established and been operating vocational rehabilitation institutions and medical facilities for the disabled person for more than three decades.

□ The recipients for 2012 are world-renowned scholars and specialists in their respective fields, and they represent a variety of age groups and a wide range of activity at home and abroad. In addition, the recipient of the Prize in Community Service, Chairman Lee overcame his own physical handicap and actualized productive social welfare through vocational rehabilitation, thereby setting a new precedent in local social welfare service.

□ The Ho-Am Prize Ceremony is scheduled to be held at 3:00 p.m. on June 1st at Ho-Am Art Hall. Each recipient will be awarded a diploma and a Ho-Am Prize medal with prize money of KRW 300 million. Prior to and after the ceremony, the recipients are scheduled to hold commemorative lectures in major universities, high schools and academies across the nation.

□ The Ho-Am Prize was established in 1990 by Kun-hee Lee, the Chairman of Samsung, with a vision to create a new corporate culture that continues the noble spirit of public service espoused by the late Chairman Byung-chull Lee. The prize is given to individuals who have contributed to academics, the arts, social development, and who have furthered the welfare of humanity through distinguished accomplishments in their respective professional fields.