Korean polar scientist receives Royal Norwegian Order of Merit
Former Korea Polar Research Institute chief Kang Sung-ho is the first Korean to receive the honor, conferred mainly on foreign nationals and Norwegians living abroad for service in the interest of Norway and humanity.
Kang Sung-ho, principal research scientist at the Korea Polar Research Institute, right, receives the Officer of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, awarded by King Harald V of Norway, from Anne Kari Hansen Ovind, ambassador of Norway to the Republic of Korea. He is the first Korean to receive the Order for his contributions to polar research cooperation.
ROYAL NORWEGIAN EMBASSY IN SEOUL
Kang Sung-ho, principal research scientist and former president of the Korea Polar Research Institute (Kopri), has been appointed Officer of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit by King Harald V of Norway, becoming the first Korean recipient of the honor.
Norway's Ambassador to Korea Anne Kari Hansen Ovind presented Kang with the diploma and insignia at a ceremony held at the Norwegian ambassador's residence in Seoul on Wednesday. The ceremony was also attended by officials from Kopri, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
The appointment recognizes Kang's role in advancing polar research and deepening cooperation between Norway and Korea.
A polar oceanographer with more than three decades of experience in the Arctic and Antarctic, Kang has taken part in 37 polar field expeditions since joining Kopri in 1993.
As Kopri's seventh president, Kang worked to strengthen international polar partnerships and expand ties between Korean institutions and Norway's Polar Institute (NPI). After his presidency, he served in Tromso as director of the Kopri-NPI Cooperative Polar Research Center.
"Through his research and leadership, Dr. Kang has played a key role in deepening polar research cooperation between Norway and the Republic of Korea, advancing scientific knowledge of the Arctic, and inspiring a new generation of researchers," Hansen Ovind was quoted as saying, according to the embassy's press release.
Kang said he considered the honor a recognition of the broader partnership the two countries have built.
"I regard this honor not only as a personal recognition, but also as a meaningful recognition of the friendship, trust and scientific partnership that the Republic of Korea and Norway have built together over many years," he said. "I hope to continue contributing to stronger cooperation between our two countries and to the future of polar, ocean and climate science."
The Royal Norwegian Order of Merit was established by King Olav V in 1985 and is conferred mainly on foreign nationals and Norwegians living abroad for service in the interest of Norway and humanity.
"Norway and the Republic of Korea have built a strong partnership in Arctic research during the last 25 years," the embassy said. "The two countries are continuing to deepen their partnership to enhance the understanding of climate change in the Arctic and contribute to addressing shared global environmental challenges."
BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]
