Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
Korean polar scientist receives Norwegian order of merit for Arctic cooperation
Norwegian Ambassador to Korea Anne Kari Hansen Ovind, left, and Kang Sung-ho, principal research scientist at the Korea Polar Research Institute, hold the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit awarded to Kang for his contributions to polar research, at the ambassador's residence in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Norwegian Embassy in Korea
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Kang Sung-ho, principal research scientist at the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) and its former president, was appointed Officer of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit by King Harald V, becoming the first Korean honored under the order.
Norwegian Ambassador to Korea Anne Kari Hansen Ovind presented Kang with the diploma and insignia of the order at a ceremony at her residence in Seoul, Wednesday.
The appointment recognizes Kang's role in advancing Norwegian polar research and building research ties between the two countries, according to the Norwegian Embassy.
"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," Ovind said.
A polar oceanographer with more than three decades of Arctic and Antarctic fieldwork, Kang took part in 37 polar expeditions. He joined KOPRI in 1993 and went on to lead the institute as its seventh president, a tenure the embassy credited with strengthening international partnerships and widening collaboration between Korean institutions and the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI).
After stepping down as president, Kang moved to Tromso, Norway, to head the KOPRI-NPI Cooperative Polar Research Center, a joint body linking the two countries' flagship polar institutes.
Kang Sung-ho, right, principal research scientist at the Korea Polar Research Institute, poses with Ole Arve Misund, former director of the Norwegian Polar Institute, in front of a bust of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen in this undated photo. Courtesy of Norwegian Embassy in Korea
"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," Kang said.
"My experiences in Svalbard and Tromsø have shown me the true value of international cooperation in polar science. I hope to continue contributing to stronger cooperation between our two countries and to the future of polar, ocean and climate science.”
KOPRI opened the Dasan station in 2002 at Ny-Alesund on Spitsbergen island in Norway's Svalbard archipelago, giving Korea its first foothold in the region. The summer facility, open from March to September, draws about 60 international researchers a year and sits alongside nine other national stations run by China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway and Britain.
Korea and Norway mark roughly 25 years of Arctic research cooperation, a partnership both governments are widening as environmental pressures in the region draw broader international attention.
King Olav V founded the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit in 1985. It is awarded chiefly to foreign nationals and to Norwegians living abroad for outstanding service to Norway and to humanity.