The opening ceremony of the exhibition <Photography=Chijung Park>

[The Hwankyung Ilbo] In light of Korea’s growing interest in climate change, Ministry of Science and ICT hosted a three-day show on July 24th which presented the latest climate change technologies. While the heart of the exhibition was to promote the product of eco-friendly tech companies, it also had educational and service booths to reach a more extensive scope of audience, instead of solely business representatives.

Speaker Hyun-jin Kim introduces the main theme: "Blessing in Disguise." <Photography=Chijung Park>

Hyun-jin Kim, a professor at Seoul School of Integrated Sciences and Technologies, introduced the goal of this event: climate change should be a “blessing in disguise” as working towards this issue may be the catalyst of a sustainable economy with “smart and green” technology. With such immense ends, the exhibition’s products attempt to attest Korea’s position in green technology.

Each company represented a different area of expertise with various products: solar panels, carbon dioxide absorbent, pavement sediment, and solar-powered clock. There were also a handful of research and inventions by prominent scientific institutions. For instance, KAIST brought a model of solar panels installed on satellites that achieve high energy efficiency.

Top photos show booths set up by science institutes while bottom photos show inventions by research centers. <Photography=Chijung Park>

The exhibition also consisted of activities for children to cultivate environmental awareness for future generation such as VR rides, art class, and lecture from Science Cookies, a science Youtuber popular among teens. In other words, the exhibition acknowledged the importance of youth education-an underdeveloped topic in Korea.

Various programs (VR, fishing, Youtuber lecture, and fishing) for children to learn about climate change. <Photography=Chijung Park>

It was clear that there weren’t enough participating companies nor products that proved climate technology was an area of expertise in Korea. However, this exhibition symbolized the small yet growing effort to combat climate change, especially after the dust particle issue. It was remarkable that one of their main purposes was to cultivate awareness and participation among the youth.

Chijung Park Reporter  chijungpark@hkbs.co.kr

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