Dr. Kang Sung-Ho appointed Officer of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit in Seoul, Korea; first Korean recipient of the Order
First Korean Polar Expert Awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit - Norway in South Korea
First Korean Polar Expert Awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit
Dr. Kang Sung-Ho, Principal Research Scientist at the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) and the former President of KOPRI, has been appointed Officer of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit by His Majesty King Harald V of Norway. He is the first Korean recipient of the Order to be honoured for contributions to polar research cooperation. H.E. Anne Kari Hansen Ovind, Ambassador of Norway to the Republic of Korea, presented Dr. Kang with the diploma and insignia of the order at the ceremony held at the Norwegian Ambassador’s Residence in Seoul on 29 July 2026. The appointment recognizes Dr. Kang’s contributions to advancing cooperation and knowledge in Norwegian polar research and fostering polar research collaboration between Norway and the Republic of Korea. Dr. Kang is a polar oceanographer with more than three decades of Arctic and Antarctic research experience. He has participated in 37 polar field expeditions. Since joining KOPRI in 1993, Dr. Kang has played a leading role in advancing Korea’s polar science capacity. As the 7th President of KOPRI, through his leadership and scientific engagement, he contributed to strengthening international polar partnerships, and expanding collaboration between Korean and Norwegian research institutions, including the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI). Following his presidency, he served in Tromsø as Director of KOPRI-NPI Cooperative Polar Research Center, further strengthening research ties between two countries Ambassador Anne Kari Hansen Ovind said:
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