Kang Sung-ho, principal research scientist at the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) and its former president, has been appointed Officer of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit by King Harald V — the first Korean national to receive the honor under the order.

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

The Norwegian Embassy said the appointment recognizes Kang's role in advancing Norwegian polar research and strengthening research ties between the two countries.

"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.

Kang, a polar oceanographer with more than three decades of Arctic and Antarctic fieldwork, has taken part in 37 polar expeditions. He joined KOPRI in 1993 and later led the institute as its seventh president. The embassy credited his tenure with strengthening international partnerships and broadening collaboration between Korean institutions and the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI).

After stepping down as president, Kang relocated to Tromsø, Norway, to head the KOPRI-NPI Cooperative Polar Research Center, a joint body linking the two countries' flagship polar institutes. Tromsø, located roughly 350 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, hosts a concentration of Arctic research organizations and serves as a hub for international polar science.

"I regard this honor not only as a personal recognition, but also as a meaningful recognition of the friendship, trust and scientific partnership that the Republic of Korea and Norway have built together over many years," Kang said.

"My experiences in Svalbard and Tromsø have shown me the true value of international cooperation in polar science. I hope to continue contributing to stronger cooperation between our two countries and to the future of polar, ocean and climate science."

KOPRI established the Dasan station in 2002 at Ny-Ålesund on Spitsbergen island in Norway's Svalbard archipelago, providing Korea with its first research foothold in the Arctic. The seasonal facility operates from March to September and hosts approximately 60 international researchers annually. It sits alongside nine other national stations operated by China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom.

Korea and Norway are marking roughly 25 years of Arctic research cooperation, a partnership both governments continue to expand as environmental pressures in the region draw growing international attention. Korea has been an observer state on the Arctic Council since 2013, reflecting its sustained interest in the region's scientific and environmental developments.

King Olav V founded the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit in 1985. It is awarded primarily to foreign nationals and to Norwegians residing abroad for outstanding service to Norway and to humanity.

Source: The Korea Times