Seminar Prof. Tae-Ho Kim [Chonbuk National University] - The First Generation of Korean Scientists
- Date
Files
Date: 2024/10/31 THU 5PM
Venue: Science Hall B130
Abstract: This study examines the pioneering generation of Korean scientists, with special emphasis on those who obtained their education and training outside of the Korean Peninsula during the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945). During the Japanese occupation era (1910-1945), the Japanese colonial authority neglected higher learning in science and engineering, which resulted in the virtual absence of a sizeable Korean scientific community until 1945. Despite the challenging sociopolitical, economic, and cultural circumstances, however, a number of Korean students aspired to study abroad and become scientists. This lecture would introduce several of those pioneers and their achievements, along with the Korean public’s perception of science and scientists under the colonial rule.
While their subsequent paths diverged due to political upheaval after Korea's liberation, the achievements of these scholars laid the foundation for the development of Korean science amidst widespread postwar economic hardship. This presentation provides a historical overview of this formative cohort of Korean scientists educated in Japan and their lasting impact on the emergence of the Korean scientific community.