The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Industrial Technology Association announced that the March Korea Engineer Award recipients are Hanwha Ocean’s Senior Researcher Lee Seung-chul and Bluecell’s Director Gwak Young-bok. The Korea Engineer Award is a system that selects one engineer each from large enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises every month to encourage technological innovation in the industrial field and to foster a culture that honors engineers by awarding them the Minister of Science and ICT Award and prize money.
Senior Researcher Lee Seung-chul was recognized for his contributions to the localization of the fuel supply system for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)-powered ships and the development of the boil-off gas reliquefaction system applied to liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage and transshipment facilities, thus being selected as an awardee. The boil-off gas reliquefaction system, in particular, is considered a core technology that maximizes ship fuel efficiency and reduces operating costs, making it essential for eco-friendly ship operations. This contributed to securing orders worth approximately 450 billion won for LNG storage and transshipment facilities, and reduced reliance on overseas suppliers, aiding in the technological independence of South Korea’s shipbuilding industry. Senior Researcher Lee expressed his award acceptance speech saying, “Through the localization of core products for decarbonized ships and the development of differentiated products, I will contribute to the development of South Korea’s shipbuilding industry.”
Bluecell’s Director Gwak Young-bok was recognized for successfully developing and commercializing the nation’s first 5th generation mobile communication (5G) wireless communication equipment based on radio frequency (RF). The technology developed by Director Gwak is a core technology that can solve the problem of shaded areas that cannot be serviced by base stations alone in a 5G environment, achieving more than 100 billion won in increased sales and over 300,000 dollars in overseas exports between 2022 and 2024. He secured technological dominance by preemptively developing core technologies three years before the full-scale launch of the 5G era, and with government support, completed the development and commercialization of ultra-low-latency dual-band repeater devices for 5G. Director Gwak stated, “Not only in mobile communication but also in the defense sector, I will secure world-class wireless data connection technology to contribute to the development of South Korea’s wireless communication industry.”
This award once again proves that the technological innovations of both researchers are contributing to strengthening the competitiveness of the domestic industry. The Korea Engineer Award plans to continuously discover and support outstanding engineers who contribute to the advancement of industrial technology.