Korean polar scientist receives Norwegian order of merit for Arctic cooperation

Kang Sung-ho, principal research scientist at the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) and its former president, was appointed Officer of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit by King Harald V, becoming the first Korean honored under the order.

Norwegian Ambassador to Korea Anne Kari Hansen Ovind presented Kang with the diploma and insignia of the order at a ceremony at her residence in Seoul, Wednesday.

The appointment recognizes Kang's role in advancing Norwegian polar research and building research ties between the two countries, according to the Norwegian Embassy.

"Through his research and leadership, Dr.

Kang has played a key role in deepening polar research cooperation between Norway and the Republic of Korea, advancing scientific knowledge of the Arctic, and inspiring a new generation of researchers," Ovind said.

A polar oceanographer with more than three decades of Arctic and Antarctic fieldwork, Kang took part in 37 polar expeditions.

He joined KOPRI in 1993 and went on to lead the institute as its seventh president, a tenure the embassy credited with strengthening international ...