The Ministry of Science and ICT (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bae Kyung-hoon) and the Korea Industrial Technology Association (President Koo Ja-gyun) announced that the recipients of the ‘Korea Engineer Award’ for October 2025 are Hyundai Motor’s team leader Lim Jin-seung and Connected Insight’s CEO Lee Jae-joon.
The ‘Korea Engineer Award’ is awarded monthly to one engineer from large companies and one from small or medium enterprises to encourage industrial technology innovation and boost the morale of technicians. The winners receive a Minister of Science and ICT Award and a prize of 5 million won. The awards are funded by the Science Technology Promotion Fund and Lottery Fund.
Hyundai Motor Company is operating 15 corporate research institutes recognized by the Ministry of Science and ICT and is actively participating in various government-led R&D projects, including a project to develop advanced hybrid systems for SUVs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (April 2022 to December 2025).
Lim Jin-seung, team leader of the EV Drive Design 1 Team at Hyundai Motor’s Namyang R&D Center, was recognized for developing technology to improve the efficiency and performance of electric vehicle motor systems. He developed a technology to reduce the thickness of the core steel sheet, the key component of the motor, improved cooling performance, and resolved centrifugal force issues, achieving a world-class level of efficiency and speed in EV motor systems.
Lim Jin-seung said, “I will strive to secure a lead in electric vehicle motor technology in the era of mobility electrification, enhance national competitiveness, and contribute to Hyundai Motor’s growth as the world’s top automaker.”
Connected Insight, the award recipient in the small and medium enterprise category, invested about 1.45 billion won of its own funds and received an additional 1.34 billion won in government support over four years since being recognized as a corporate research institute by the Ministry of Science and ICT in 2021. Key projects include developing a microscopic defect inspection device for display panel key components (April 2023 to March 2025).
The company registered seven patents and applied for 25 patents and 13 trademarks through its achievements in implementing high-speed synchronization methods and commercializing AOI (Automated Optical Inspection) technology. Notably, it developed an automatic vision inspection system for solar cell printers and sorters, winning the ‘IR52 Jang Young-Sil Award’ in 2024.
Lee Jae-joon, CEO, accomplished the complete domestic development of solar cell dedicated AOI inspection systems, from design to production, and deep learning-based software construction, based on more than 20 years of image recognition technology experience. This technology has been evaluated to enhance national technological competitiveness by achieving 120% inspection speed, 130% efficiency, and 300% cost reduction compared to overseas competitors.
Lee Jae-joon stated, “Science and technology are tools that enhance product quality and productivity. We will continue to work towards creating meaningful technological value in the industrial field.”
The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to continue enhancing rewards and recognition for scientists and technologists who have elevated national competitiveness through technological innovation and will support the dissemination of research results based on industry-academia-research cooperation.
