POSCO Selects TJ Park Prize Winners
By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
POSCO announced Tuesday three winners for the 2008 TJ Park Prize, an annual award to celebrate achievements in science, education and philanthropy.
Hyeon Taeg-hwan, an associate professor of chemical and biological engineering at Seoul National University (SNU); Yang Hee-q, the founder and principal of Gandhi School and Monk Dobeop were recognized this year by the TJ Park Foundation.
The prize has been awarded annually starting last year to commemorate the accomplishments of POSCO founder Park Tae-joon and to increase the public's interest in the steel maker's founding spirit of ``respecting creativity, nurturing talent and promoting philanthropy.''
Company officials say rigid and fair nominations and selections are made to reward individuals or organizations who have made outstanding accomplishments in their respective fields. Each recipient gets a cash prize of 200 million won.
Fifty-nine-year-old Monk Dobeop, who was recognized for his philanthropic efforts, was selected based on his dedication to champion an ecological community, in which unemployed men and women of all ages were welcomed to join in nurturing and appreciating nature.
Venerable Dobeop helped revamp an underdeveloped rural farm village into a community, including a faming school, housing and other facilities for area residents in Namwon, North Jeolla Province.
SNU Professor Hyeon, 44, was noted for his achievements in science, as he is world-renowned for improving the commercialization of nano-technology, said POSCO.
His technological breakthrough was highlighted in the 2004 Nature Materials journal, and in 2007, Hyeon discovered a new technique to produce better magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), effective for the early detection of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
The 49-year-old founder and head of Gandhi School was praised for establishing what is considered the country's first alternative-type school, said company officials.
Instead of focusing on math, English and science, the specialty school focused on helping students learn how to build homes, make clothes, cook, farm and engage in other hands-on work.
The award ceremony for the 2nd Annual TJ Park Prize will be held on March 25 at the POSCO headquarters in Seoul.