Young inventors dream of leading the country’s future

The 43rd National Students Science Inventions Competitive Exhibition took place on Wednesday at the National Science Museum in Daejeon, with some 180 people, including award winners attending. Hosted by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Information and organized by the Dong-A Ilbo and the National Science Museum, the competition exhibition has been considered the best inventions competition exhibition for elementary, middle school, and high school students.

Thirteen thousand eight hundred eighty applicants from 17 cities and provinces joined this year's competition. Experts evaluated the entries in the field based on creativity, inquisitivity, practicality, efforts, and economic feasibility. A total of 299 students have been awarded, including the prime minister award. Ten students were awarded the grand prize, 50 students were given the special prize, 100 students were given excellence awards, and 137 students won participation awards.

Lee Ho-seon of Chungbuk Science High School won the presidential award by inventing a contact lens case that allows the user to identify whether the lenses have been flipped backward quickly. Moon Jae-in of Yuer Elementary School was awarded the prime ministerial award for his invention of water purifier corks that are resistant to the formation of water drops.

The inventions that won the award will be exhibited at the city and provincial education and science research centers. President of the National Science Museum Lee Seok-rae said that the examiners were highly confident about the possibility of the commercialization of the two inventions and are tapping the opinions of companies. He also encouraged students to give it a try to create inventions. Choi Dong-il, a managing director of HY, which has sponsored the competition since the first competition in 1979, also said that he was intensely proud, on behalf of the company, of having sponsored this event, which has served a role as the cradle of scientists in the country, for 43 years. “I sincerely congratulate all the award winners who have created various creative inventions and their teachers and parents.”


Myung-Hun Jee mhjee@donga.com