Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
Science ministry awards KEPCO, Noanix engineers
Korea Electric Power Corp. project manager Yoon Hoon, left, and Noanix research head Choi Jae-hoon / Courtesy of Ministry of Science and ICT
By Lee Gyu-lee
The Ministry of Science and ICT has named two engineers — from Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) and medical equipment manufacturer Noanix — as the recipients of its Engineering Award for May, recognizing their contributions to industrial innovation and engineering advancement.
The ministry announced on Monday that it awarded KEPCO project manager Yoon Hoon and Noanix research head Choi Jae-hoon.
The monthly award program, jointly organized with the Korea Industrial Technology Association, honors engineers who have made significant real-world engineering contributions, awarding them with a ministerial commendation and a prize of 5 million won ($3,400).
Yoon, who works in the nuclear business division, was recognized for developing a 3D-based software solution that automates and enhances pipe damage assessment in nuclear power plants. The technology replaced conventional manual assessment methods that rely on 2D drawings, significantly improving maintenance efficiency and reducing inspection time in nuclear facilities.
The software has already demonstrated commercial viability, securing contracts worth over 5 billion won domestically and about 2 billion won from overseas projects.
KEPCO has long been taking part in government-backed energy research and development (R&D), including gas combined-cycle systems and small modular reactor designs, strengthening Korea’s power engineering capabilities.
“Going forward, I will continue developing core technologies that strengthen the safety of nuclear facilities and help prove the competitiveness and excellence of Korea’s nuclear power technology,” Yoon said.
Meanwhile, Choi was recognized for his contribution to advancing ultrasonic nozzle technology for precision coating systems used in medical implants.
Noanix has built up expertise in medical device coating technologies through government-backed R&D projects. It has registered around 19 domestic and overseas patents related to medical coating equipment and technologies, and exported coating systems to overseas markets including the United States, Germany and China, recording exports worth approximately $2.6 million in 2023.
Choi’s team developed ultrasonic nozzle-based coating equipment that uniformly coats biocompatible and drug-eluting materials onto stents, which are used to keep blood vessels open. The technology helps reduce side effects such as complications after stent insertion procedures.
“Based on the technological capabilities and experience we have accumulated, we will continue developing innovative manufacturing technologies that can strengthen the ecosystem and global competitiveness of Korea’s medical device industry,” Choi said.