South Korea's delegation to the 37th International Biology Olympiad poses for a photo after receiving gold medals at the awards ceremony. Pictured from left: Oh Ji-yun, Bae Jun-su, Kim Min-jae and Choi Jae-young. [Ministry of Science and ICT]
South Korea's delegation to the 37th International Biology Olympiad poses for a photo after receiving gold medals at the awards ceremony. Pictured from left: Oh Ji-yun, Bae Jun-su, Kim Min-jae and Choi Jae-young. [Ministry of Science and ICT]

South Korea's young science talents have conquered the world stage.

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity announced Tuesday that all four members of South Korea's delegation to the 37th International Biology Olympiad won gold medals.

Competing against 302 students from 78 countries, the Korean team — Kim Min-jae (Seoul Science High School, grade 11), Bae Jun-su (Gyeonggi Science High School, grade 11), Oh Ji-yun (Seoul Science High School, grade 10) and Choi Jae-young (Korea Science Academy, grade 10) — swept all four gold medals.

The competition comprised a theoretical examination and a practical examination, each weighted at 50 percent of the total score. The theoretical examination covered 100 questions across seven subjects — cell biology, plant morphology and plant physiology, animal morphology and animal physiology, ethology, genetics and evolutionary biology, ecology, and biological systematics — administered in two 50-question sessions over a total of six hours. The practical examination drew from four areas — molecular biology and biochemistry, animal physiology, animal morphology and systematics, and computational plant biology — with each section lasting 90 minutes for a total of six hours.

The theoretical examination comprehensively assessed students' broad knowledge of life sciences and their scientific reasoning based on research processes and findings, with questions drawing on the latest research results standing out in particular. The practical examination focused on experimental and data-interpretation skills used across all areas of life science research, including morphological observation and dissection, restriction enzymes, electrophoresis, spectrometry, bioassays, bioinformatics and data analysis.

Kim Jae-geun, head of the Korean delegation and chair of the Korean Biology Olympiad Committee, said watching the students joyfully discuss and absorb the thinking and logic embedded in life science — and actively engage with delegates from other countries — gave him confidence that South Korea's life sciences will develop to a world-class level. "I hope they will continue to participate more actively in uncovering the mysteries of life and develop their talents further," he added.

South Korea's delegation to the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad. Pictured from left: team leader Jeong Hyeon (Dongguk University), deputy leader Choi Su-hyeok (Yonsei University), students Kim Do-hun (Gwangju Science High School, grade 11), Kim Sang-yeon (Incheon Academy of Science and Arts, grade 11), Im Jang-ho (Gwangju Science High School, grade 11) and Lee Eun-seong (Daegu Science High School, grade 11), and coaches Kwon Seong-jung (Konkuk University) and Park Ki-young (KAIST). [Ministry of Science and ICT]
South Korea's delegation to the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad. Pictured from left: team leader Jeong Hyeon (Dongguk University), deputy leader Choi Su-hyeok (Yonsei University), students Kim Do-hun (Gwangju Science High School, grade 11), Kim Sang-yeon (Incheon Academy of Science and Arts, grade 11), Im Jang-ho (Gwangju Science High School, grade 11) and Lee Eun-seong (Daegu Science High School, grade 11), and coaches Kwon Seong-jung (Konkuk University) and Park Ki-young (KAIST). [Ministry of Science and ICT]

Meanwhile, South Korea's four-member delegation to the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad claimed two gold medals, one silver and one bronze.

Competing against 368 students from 92 countries, Kim Sang-yeon (Incheon Academy of Science and Arts, grade 11) and Im Jang-ho (Gwangju Science High School, grade 11) won gold, Kim Do-hun (Gwangju Science High School, grade 11) took silver, and Lee Eun-seong (Daegu Science High School, grade 11) earned bronze, demonstrating the depth of South Korea's science talent.

South Korea's delegations are set to compete in a series of additional international science olympiads this year, including mathematics, informatics and earth science.


nbgkoo@heraldcorp.com