Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
2026 Samsung Ho-Am Prize honors leaders of society
Winners of the Samsung Ho-Am Prize 2026 pose during an awarding ceremony at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, Monday. From left are Oh Sung-jin, a professor at UC Berkley’s Department of Mathematics; Yoon The-shik, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Kim Bum-man, a professor emeritus at Pohang University of Science and Technology; Eva Hoffman, a professor at the University of Copenhagen; Soprano Sumi Jo and Oh Dong-chan, a dentist at Sorokdo National Hospital. Courtesy of Ho-Am Foundation
By Nam Hyun-woo
The Ho-Am Foundation, a public interest organization sponsored by Samsung Group, granted the 2026 Samsung Ho-Am Prize to six leaders in the fields of science, engineering, medicine, art and social contribution.
The foundation held the awarding ceremony of the 36th Ho-Am Prize at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, Monday, with laureates, their family members, presidents of Samsung affiliates and 270 other officials attending.
This year’s prize honored Oh Sung-jin, a professor at UC Berkley’s Department of Mathematics, in the physics and mathematics category; Yoon The-shik, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in the chemistry and life sciences category; Kim Bum-man, a professor emeritus at Pohang University of Science and Technology, in the engineering category; Eva Hoffman, a professor at the University of Copenhagen, in the medicine category, Soprano Sumi Jo in the art category; and Oh Dong-chan, a dentist at Sorokdo National Hospital, in the social contribution category.
Each laureate received a certificate, a medal and a cash prize of 300 million won ($198,000), bringing the total prize money awarded this year to 1.8 billion won.
“We pay tribute to the remarkable achievements of this year’s laureates, who have contributed to the advancement of science, technology, culture and the arts through their creative insight, academic dedication and unwavering spirit of service, while helping build a warmer society,” Ho-Am Foundation Chairman Kim Hwang-sik said.
Professor Oh was honored for mathematically identifying instabilities inside black holes using nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations, while Yoon was recognized for inducing complex organic molecular bonding reactions using only low-energy visible light.
Kim received the award for laying the foundation for next-generation wireless communication technologies, while Hoffmann was honored for uncovering the mechanisms behind chromosome segregation errors during meiosis in egg cells. Jo was recognized for promoting international exchange and messages of peace through music.
Doctor Oh was recognized for his over 30 years of commitment for Hansen’s disease patients on Sorokdo Island.
Sorokdo Island, located off the southwestern coast of Korea, was used as a compulsory isolation settlement for Hansen’s disease patients in the 20th century and is now home to treatment and welfare facilities for patients. Although Hansen’s disease is not transmitted through ordinary social contact, those diagnosed with the disease were long subjected to discrimination due to widespread misconceptions about the illness.
“I will continue dedicating myself to caring for Hansen’s disease patients at home and abroad, while helping people understand that they are our ordinary neighbors and not a source of infection,” Oh said. “I will also always remember my mother's final words: ‘Treat them with the same warmth you would show your own mother.’”
The foundation said it will hold a special lecture for students and young people featuring Ho-Am Prize laureates and Nobel laureates in Daejeon on July 4.
The foundation was established to commemorate Samsung Group founder Lee Byung-chul’s commitment to national economic development and social advancement. Since 1990, the Ho-Am Prize has recognized individuals who have contributed to social development and the advancement of human welfare.