A research team led by Professor Wonjoon Kim of the School of Electrical Engineering at Konkuk University has won the Bronze Prize at the 32nd Samsung Humantech Paper Awards, one of Korea’s most prestigious academic honors in science and engineering.
The award was presented to Jaehoon Jung (first author) and Kangyun Sung (co-author), graduate students in Professor Kim’s laboratory, for their joint research project. The official award ceremony took place at Samsung Electronics’ Seocho headquarters on February 11 at 11 a.m.
Established in 1994 by Samsung Electronics, the Samsung Humantech Paper Awards aim to promote the advancement of science and technology and foster the next generation of scientific talent. Now in its 32nd year, the competition recognizes outstanding research across all fields of science and engineering. Award recipients of Bronze Prize and above, including co-authors, are granted preferential consideration for employment within the Samsung Group, underscoring the award’s strong reputation in both academia and industry.
This year, a total of 3,172 paper abstracts were submitted, with only 120 selected for awards after a rigorous evaluation process. Professor Kim’s team was recognized for proposing a high-speed, high-precision 3D human modeling method applicable to smart glasses. The study was praised for its academic rigor and technological contribution, particularly in advancing real-time three-dimensional reconstruction technologies for wearable devices.
In a gesture reflecting their commitment to social responsibility, Professor Kim’s research team announced that they will donate the entire prize money of 5 million KRW (approximately USD 3,700) to Konkuk University’s “100-Year Development Fund.” As the university prepares to celebrate its centennial anniversary in 2031, it has been actively raising funds to support long-term institutional development. The voluntary contribution by Professor Kim’s team is viewed as a meaningful example of returning academic achievement to the broader community and reinforcing the social value of scientific research.
This recognition not only highlights the research excellence of Konkuk University in cutting-edge engineering fields but also underscores the growing convergence of academic innovation and industrial application in Korea’s technology ecosystem.
