Yumin Awards recipients embody what it means to create

Kang Ki-suk, a materials science and engineering professor at Seoul National University, who developed novel materials for next-generation rechargeable batteries, social entrepreneur Kim Seong-min of brother’s keeper and art director Ryu Seong-hie...

Recipients of the 14th Yumin Awards gather Wednesday at the JoongAng Ilbo headquarters in Mapo District, western Seoul. From left: Hong Seok-hyun, chairman of JoongAng Holdings, Kang Ki-suk, a materials science and engineering professor at Seoul National University; art director Ryu Seong-hie; social entrepreneur Kim Seong-min; and Yoo Hong-jun, one of the judges of the Yumin Awards Committee. [WOO SANG-JO]

Kang Ki-suk, a materials science and engineering professor at Seoul National University, novel materials for next-generation rechargeable batteries, social entrepreneur Kim Seong-min of brother’s keeper and art director Ryu Seong-hie who was behind hit films “The Handmaiden” and “Decision to Leave,” were named the winners of this year’s Yumin Awards.

“To achieve new innovation worthy of the weight of the name ‘creation,’ we must proceed a step further. I believe the public has recognized through this award my passion for research and it motivated me to go further to achieve something greater in the future. Secondary batteries are a key industry that is more important than semiconductors and if we can lead the world in this area, Korea will truly become an advanced country,” Kang said as he received the award during this year’s event held on Wednesday at the JoongAng Ilbo Building in Mapo District, western Seoul.

The Yumin Awards are an annual event launched in 2010 to honor “Yumin” Hong Jin-ki, the late co-founder and former chairman of the JoongAng Ilbo, who served in numerous roles in government, business and media. Every year, the awards recognize Koreans who made crucial contributions to society, science and technology, as well as culture and arts. This year’s event celebrates its 14th edition.

Kim, who received the award in the Society category, said his “dream is to become a family to children from orphanages.”

“I’ll continue to create jobs for independent young Koreans and represent their human rights and interests,” he said. “This award I am receiving today is not just for me I think, but for everyone who has been making the impossible possible.”

Ryu, who received the award in the Culture and Arts category said she’s “honored to receive such a prestigious award” when she’s only in the beginning phase, laying the foundation of what is called film art.

“I believe I still have a long way to go and I will make sure to become a role model for many others who dream to create, to be creative and achieve new things,” she said. “Lao-tzu said, ‘Cast clay into a pot; the emptiness inside makes it useful.’ I think our lives can also become useful and fulfilled through experience. I’ll work hard and research hard to continue to create beautiful mise-en-scene of Korean films.”

Hong Seok-hyun, chairman of JoongAng Holdings, also said during the ceremony that he wants to acknowledge and send respect to the creators as they “do not settle for what already exists but always strive to achieve something new, look for new values and ultimately brighten the future of Korea.”

Kang Ki-suk, a materials science and engineering professor at Seoul National University [WOO SANG-JO]

Kang Ki-sukScience and Technology category Kang Ki-suk, a materials science and engineering professor at Seoul National University, is pioneering multiple research aimed at overcoming the current limitations of lithium ion batteries primarily used in electric vehicles.

The 47-year-old researcher was named winner of the Yumin Awards’ Science and Technology category for his breakthrough research on rechargeable battery materials.

Kang developed novel electrode materials based on nanostructure with the potential of significantly increasing the energy efficiency of the rechargeable battery. His feat also includes examining the synthesis mechanism of high nickel to identify the cause of the low-performance behind certain batteries with high-nickel cathodes.

Battery producers at home and abroad are racing to develop batteries that contain a higher proportion of nickel on the cathode side as the material could generate superior energy density.

He is predicting that the rechargeable battery will one day surpass the market size of semiconductors, underlining the significance of the item for Korea.

“The rechargeable battery is the key industry that attaches higher importance than semiconductors,” Kang said in an interview conducted on June 16.

“By 2025, its market size will surpass that of semiconductor products. Fortunately, Korea has a firm standing in both categories. If Korea can lead rechargeable battery technology on the global stage, it will make the country an undisputed advanced economy,” the professor said.

Kang’s other area of focus is lithium air batteries, widely considered as an ultimate next-generation technology in the battery industry.

Kang succeeded in developing a new catalyst for lithium air batteries that use oxygen as cathodes.

“When using oxygen instead of transition metal, energy density increases over ten times,” he said, “But the problem is that charging is difficult, but we resolved the problem by developing a working catalyst.”

With a number of joint researches with LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI and Hyundai Motor, he also contributed to addressing actual disruptions in the industry and advancing the performance of the materials used in those companies’ products.

Kang has displayed solid research feats, having his papers published in prominent journals. He released over 10 research in Science and Nature and 27 more works in other related publications.

He has been serving as reviewing editor for the Science magazine.

“Professor Kang is at the forefront of research in rechargeable battery materials, developing high-capacity electrode materials,” noted Hyeon Taeg-hwan, a distinguished chemistry professor at Seoul National University and director of Center for Nanoparticle Research of Institute for Basic Science.

Kim Seong-min, founder of brother's keeper [BROTHER'S KEEPER]

Kim Seong-minSociety category

Social entrepreneur Kim Seong-min, the founder of brother’s keeper, helps young Koreans in need, particularly those who were brought up in institutions, adapt to society.

For the past decade, Kim has been helping some 2,500 youths every year.

Kim, who was brought up in an orphanage himself, said he plans to continue doing what he is doing as he is well aware of “how terrifying and hopeless it feels to come out into society alone.”

Some 19 years ago, Kim took his first step into society. Fifty thousand won ($39) was all he had when he first came to Seoul after graduating high school in 2004. He was faced with turning to crime while spending endless nights on the streets.

But one day, Kim decided he needed to take charge of his future. He put on the most pristine outfit he had and went to an interview at a restaurant in Itaewon. He got the job.

He worked hard at the restaurant and went to orphanages to play with the children on the weekends.

Kim, who never knew his parents, wanted to become a family for the children.

Since 2008, he worked as an administrative secretary at a non-profit organization called YES Daddy which matches orphans with volunteers who were willing to share their talents. After visiting some 200 orphanages in the country, Kim realized that finding work was the most important thing for youths in need aiming to become independent.

“There are many opportunities to commit crime once [youths] come out of an orphanage, but they will not be swayed by such temptations if they have a stable job and life,” Kim said.

Even when he worked as a church evangelist for a while, he focused on creating jobs by forming a network between church members and youths.

He was able to help some 100 people gain employment in about six months, but they all quit their jobs after just a few weeks as they found it difficult to adapt.

This is how Kim ended up with brother’s keeper, a company he founded in 2018 after deciding to educate such youths to adapt to society and help them get a job at the same time.

“Landscape architecture and interior design that focuses on plants were the main jobs offered to these youths, which were the best options to help emotionally support them,” he said.

His company has 10 employees at the moment and eight of them were brought up in orphanages.

Starting next year, the company plans to expand employment for youths in need by opening a plant-themed cafe.

From 2018 to 2021, Kim also actively pushed forward with regulating the legal status of youths brought up in child protection facilities.

“I was invited to a meal for the socially vulnerable at the Blue House and I spoke [about the need of regulating the legal status of youths brought up in institutions] with a stack of paper that analyzed the reality of youths in need,” Kim said.

During the meal, Kim talked about the ironic reality of how youths brought up in institutions was not included in the category of socially vulnerable that social enterprises employ.

The bill was amended in 2019 only after he met with officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Employment and Labor multiple times and the press reported on Kim’s argument.

Kim continued to improve the already-amended bill so that youths that left institutions within a time frame of five years could be deemed as socially vulnerable.

In 2021, the standard was loosened to those up to the age of 34.

“Your life changes depending on whom you meet during adolescence,” Kim said. “I want to be remembered as a healthy adult that leads youths in need to a good path.”

Ryu Seong-hie, art director behind Korea's hit films like "The Handmaiden," "Old Boy" and "Decision to Leave." [WOO SANG-JO]

Ryu Seong-hieCulture and Arts category Ryu Seong-hie’s name and her occupation — art director — became known to the Korean public after she nabbed the prestigious Vulcan Award of the Technical Artist for her work in Director Park Chan-wook’s “The Handmaiden” in 2016. She was the first Korean to receive the award.

But before that, she worked as a production designer and art director on Korea’s great films like Park’s “Old Boy” (2003) and Bong Joon-ho’s “Memories of Murder” (2003).

Ryu majored in ceramics at Hongik University, one of the nation’s top art schools, in western Seoul. After graduating, she decided to study at the American Film Institute (AFI). Ryu says she once dreamed of working in Hollywood after graduating from the AFI, but while creating film sets for Western movies, she realized that she’ll “do nothing but study and follow the culture of another country” if she continued to stay there. She said she decided to return to her motherland because she wanted to “pioneer an unexplored field in Korea.”

In the early 2000s, when she entered the Korean film industry, the occupation of an art director itself was very unfamiliar, even to insiders. There were set managers, prop managers and costume managers, but there was no one to actually take charge of leading the film’s mise-en-scène and create a consistent visual tone. Of course, other crew members put up strong opposition to her position as they were happy working individually and didn’t feel the need for a director to take charge.

However, Ryu knew what she had to do. With her talent and will, she gradually made other crew members realize the significance of art in film and how it is important to have an art director on set. She has since played a large part in enhancing the visual perfection of Korean films. Films that have been praised for their great visuals have passed through Ryu’s hands, such as Bong’s “The Host” (2006) and “Mother” (2009), Park’s “Thirst” (2009) as well as Jang Hoon’s “The Front Line” (2011), JK Yoon’s “Ode to My Father” (2014) and Choi Dong-hoon’s “Assassination” (2014) among many others.

Recently, Ryu's latest work which was Park’s “Decision to Leave” (2022), took home 10 prizes from the Asian Film Awards, including the Best Production Award.

Going beyond the silver screen, she worked as the production designer for the hit Netflix series “Little Women” (2022), which was hailed for further enhancing the reputation of Korean works. Ryu won the Technical Award with the series and the series also won Best Drama/Picture at the 2023 Baeksang Arts Awards.

Ryu says she used to get inspired a lot by sensuous paintings in the past but recently, she’s been more inspired by the profound concept of East Asian philosophy. She said she wants to expand her scope in other directions as well, such as philosophical science fiction in terms of genre, and OTT drama series as well as music videos in terms of media.

“I’ve received many awards related to film but I was especially excited that I am being awarded the Yumin Awards for Culture and Arts category,” said Ryu. “I’m so grateful for this award that is given to me to expand my horizons and to be more creative. It really cheers me up and I am ready to do so much more.”

BY YOON SUK-MAN, CHOI JOON-HO AND MOON SO-YOUNG [kjdculture@joongang.co.kr]