Professor Jae-Hyung Jeon of the Department of Physics at POSTECH has received the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Commendation for “Contributions to the Advancement of Basic Research” in recognition of his achievements in advancing basic research and generating outstanding research outcomes.
Since 2021, Professor Jeon has served as Executive Director of Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics (APCTP), and has been recognized for leveraging his international research experience and academic networks in physics to: promote basic research across the Asia-Pacific region, expand cooperation in the basic sciences, and contribute to the creation of excellent research outcomes through the cultivation of next-generation scientific talent.
In particular, Professor Jeon helped expand and strengthen frameworks for international joint research and researcher exchange. As a result, the number of APCTP member countries and partner institutions has continued to grow over the past five years. During the same period, participants in academic exchange programs came from approximately 126 countries, and about 5,000 international scientists visited Korea each year—achievements that have reinforced Korea’s standing by positioning the country as a practical hub for basic-science cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
Professor Jeon has also played an important role in advancing the Asia-Pacific basic-science community through his service as a Korean Council Member of the Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies (AAPPS), where he supported cooperative programs and contributed to energizing networks among research institutes and academic societies.
He has further worked to expand international programs aimed at discovering and nurturing next-generation science and technology talent. In collaboration with Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Vietnam’s largest government-affiliated science and technology research organization, he hosted local international workshops to invigorate research exchange. He also established a new undergraduate internship program linked with POSTECH for 30 top students from a prestigious university in Indonesia, providing outstanding STEM students in Asia opportunities to experience Korea’s research environment. These programs have contributed to attracting international talent to Korea’s basic-science fields and expanding the foundation for research collaboration, with plans to extend them to other member countries such as Vietnam and China.
In addition, through activities under APEC PPSTI (Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation), Professor Jeon supported the training of early-career researchers and international academic collaboration. He also contributed to elevating Korea’s stature in science and technology diplomacy by attracting initiatives such as the APEC science and technology partnership cooperation program and an international basic-science forum.
Professor Jeon has also actively promoted science-culture programs to broaden public engagement with science and technology. Centered on APCTP’s “Science Book of the Year” program, he oversaw a wide range of public outreach initiatives—including author talks, a science book review contest, and AI science classes—designed to reach underserved groups, increase societal interest in science and technology, and expand a science-culture foundation in partnership with local communities. In recognition of these contributions, he also received the Gyeongsangbuk-do Science and Technology Award in 2025.
Professor Jeon said, “I will continue to expand collaboration with researchers across the Asia-Pacific region and work steadily to cultivate the next generation of scientific talent and advance basic science.”