Prof. Jae-Hyung JEON, APCTP Executive Director, Receives the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of MSIT Commendation for Contributions to the Advancement of Basic Research

Recognized for his contributions to advancing basic research and leading outstanding research achievements

The Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics (President Misao SASAKI, hereafter APCTP) announced that its Executive Director, Jae-Hyung Jeon, also a professor in 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 efforts to promote basic research and lead outstanding research achievements.

Since assuming the role of Executive Director of APCTP in 2021, Prof. Jeon has contributed to the advancement of basic research in the Asia–Pacific region by drawing on his extensive international research experience and academic networks in physics. His leadership has supported the expansion of cooperation in basic science and the cultivation of next-generation scientific talent, leading to the creation of significant research outcomes.

In particular, Prof. Jeon has expanded international collaborative research and researcher exchange programs. As a result, the number of APCTP Member Countries/Regions and Partner Institutes has steadily increased in recent years. Over the past five years, participants from approximately 126 countries have taken part in APCTP academic programs, and around 5,000 international scientists visit Korea each year. These efforts have strengthened Korea’s standing as a practical hub for basic science cooperation in the Asia–Pacific region.

In addition, Prof. Jeon has served as a Korean council member of the Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies (AAPPS), supporting collaborative programs and promoting networking among research institutes and academic societies, thereby contributing to the development of the basic science community across the Asia–Pacific region.

Prof. Jeon has also devoted significant efforts to expanding international programs aimed at discovering and nurturing the next generation of science and technology talent. In collaboration with the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), the largest government-affiliated science and technology research institution in Vietnam, APCTP organized international workshops locally to strengthen research exchange. In addition, a new undergraduate internship program linked with POSTECH was launched for 30 outstanding students from leading universities in Indonesia, providing opportunities for talented young scientists in Asia to experience Korea’s research environment. These initiatives have contributed to attracting international talent to Korea’s basic science community and expanding the foundation for research collaboration, with plans to extend the program to other Member Countries/Regions such as Vietnam and China.

Furthermore, through participation in the APEC Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI), Prof. Jeon has supported the development of early-career researchers and international academic cooperation. He has also contributed to enhancing Korea’s global standing in science and technology diplomacy by helping attract APEC science and technology partnership programs and international forums on basic science.

Alongside these efforts, Prof. Jeon has actively promoted science communication programs aimed at broadening the social reach of science and technology. Centered on the APCTP “The Best Science Books” program, he has led various public engagement initiatives—including author lectures, science book review contests, and AI science classes—that reach underprivileged communities, raise public interest in science, and expand science outreach activities in collaboration with local governments and institutions. In recognition of these contributions, he also received the Science and Technology Award by Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Government in 2025.

Prof. Jeon remarked, “We will continue to expand collaboration with researchers across the Asia–Pacific region and make sustained efforts to nurture the next generation of scientific talent and advance basic science.”

Established following the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in 1996, APCTP is the only international theoretical physics center in Korea. Located at POSTECH in Pohang, it collaborates with 19 Member Countries/Regions and 36 Partner Institutes across the Asia–Pacific region. Supported by the government’s Science and Technology Promotion Fund and Lottery Fund, the center has steadily grown since its establishment, attracting and nurturing more than 300 outstanding early-career scientists as resident researchers. Through collaborative research and academic exchange in theoretical physics, APCTP continues to strengthen Korea’s basic science competitiveness while promoting the public value of science through public lectures, participatory science festivals, and youth science outreach programs.