The science writer and critic most familiar to people
The leader of organizing the community of Korean physicians and science writers
(Late) Kim Jeong-heum
Professor of Korea Univ (1927~2005)
- Academic background
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1951
B.S. at College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Seoul National Univ. (Physics)
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1951 ~ 1953
M.S. at Graduate School of Michigan State Univ., USA (Physics)
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1957 ~ 1961
Ph.D. in Science at the Univ. of Rochester, USA (Physics)
- Professional career
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1953 ~ 1992
Professor of Korea Univ.
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1982 ~ 1988
President of the Korea Science Writers Association
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1985 ~ 1987
President of the Korea Physics Society
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1989 ~ 2003
President of the Korea Literary Art Intellectual Right Association
- Awards
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1972
Korea Science Technology Award (Prime Minister’s Award)
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1983
Order of Civil Merit, Camellia Medal
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2002
Order of Science and Technology, Innovation Medal
Professor Jeong Heum Kim is a pioneer of science popularization who contributed to the promotion of scientific research and the expansion of science culture through active writing and lecturing, as well as research in Physics.
He graduated from the Physics dept. of Seoul National Univ. in 1951 and acquired a master’s degree in science in 1953 from the university’s graduate school. He went abroad for study in 1957 when lecturing at Korea Univ. after acquiring a master’s degree and received a Ph.D. in science from the Univ. of Rochester. After returning to Korea, he devoted his life to Korea Univ. as a professor and made efforts in research on theoretical physics and fostering young scholars. Also, he actively made writing and lectures in science to lead the popularization of science in Korea, when there was barely any recognition of science.
Though Korea has rapidly increased its interest in science and technology during the 1960s ~ 1970s when it saw rapid economic growth and social change, the people in general were feeling thirsty for state-of-the-art science and technology that was being developed in other industrialized countries, with few experts in Korea who could give easy-to-understand lectures. In this situation, Professor Kim made active writing and lecturing with a sense of duty, emerging as a symbolic figure of the popularization of science in Korea. He helped people understand science by explaining in plain terms via articles on mass media, 20 ~ 30 times a year for over 40 years continuously since the 1960s. During the 1980s, the peak period of his writing, he wrote science articles amounting to 4,000 to 6,000 pages (up to 8,300 pages at most) a year, based on the Korean 200-letter writing page. He wrote over 40 books including “Future World”, “Development of Technology”, “Natural Science 101”, etc. He led the establishment of the Korea Science Writers Association in 1977 and served as the vice president of the first founding term (1977~1982) and the president of the second term (1982~1988) management.
As a result of his active work, he was regarded as a symbolic figure to the general people and this led to his featuring in broadcasting. He worked as a standing panel on a variety of programs such as KBS TV and Education Radio Broadcasting in the 1970s and 1980s, explaining the development of science to students and citizens. Also, with rushing in requests for lectures from various places, he gave an average of 100 lectures annually during the 1980s and 1990s.
The activities at the Korea Science Writers Association led him to an interest in intellectual property rights as well. Professor Kim contributed to the introduction of an intellectual property rights system in Korea while serving as the founding vice president (1984~1989) and president (1989~2003) of the Korea Liberal Art Intellectual Rights Association.
His efforts for the popularization of science continued outside of lectures and writing. He participated in many government committees to practically contribute to preparations of policies for the promotion and expansion of science culture. For example, he requested to include computers in the educational courses in the primary, middle, and high schools as a committee member of the Education Reform Review Committee that reported to the President, of which the request was admitted by the Ministry of Education, which laid the foundation for the Korean IT industry’s development today.
His devotion to science popularization was recognized by the nation. In 1972, he won the Korea Science Technology Award (Prime Minister’s Award), in 1983, an Order of Civil Merit, Camellia Medal, and in 2002, an Order of Science and Technology, Innovation Medal.
He also has had great achievements as a researcher. He published papers continuously even in the 1960s and 1970s when there lacked research activities at Korean universities. In addition, he took charge of many projects at the Korea Physics Society, too, contributing to the establishment and development of the Korean physics arena. In 1967, he served as the editor-in-chief of the society to establish an English journal, Journal of Korean Physics Society. He also served as Chairman of the physics terms review committee under the society for ten years from 1972 to 1982, leading the publication of 『Physic Terms Dictionary』. And, from 1985 to 1987, serving as the 11th president of the Korea Physics Society, he added his achievements by improving the operation of the society, editing experimental textbooks in physics, etc.