Over 80 alumni and students gathered in Seoul in mid-August for an event aimed at strengthening the Imperial network in Korea.

The meeting held in the garden at the Best Western Gangnam Hotel on 17 August marked a new era for the Imperial College Alumni Association of Korea, which consisted of an informal reception followed by a buffet dinner.

The assembled crowd heard from distinguished alumnus Professor Chul Park (PhD Aeronautics, 1963), who spoke about the history of Imperial College London and about his pride at having graduated from the College, and they were also addressed by Professor Sungmok Hong (DIC Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1967).

The group announced the election of three committee members: President Soohyun Kim  (PhD Mechanical Engineering, 1990), Vice-President Cheil Moon (MSc Biotechnology, 1990), and Secretary Sanghyun Richard Shin (Physics, 2005) who will steer the work of the Alumni Association over the coming two years.

Dr Yung-Hoe Han (BEng Materials, 2002) played a pivotal role in arranging the event along with Sang Rae Lee (MEng Aeronautics, 2005), Elisa Park (BEng Materials, 2004) and Sanghyun Richard Shin. He said, “We hope to inspire alumni to support the College’s work and to boost the profile of Imperial in Korea. I’m delighted that we have been able to elect three new committee members this evening. With the amazing turnout at the event, it’s clear they will have lots of support moving forwards.”

Guests watched a video message from the British Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Scott Wightman. He said, “Today Imperial’s scientists are at the forefront of science, engineering, medicine and business. I know that many of you are going to be making important contributions to society, and it’s a source of great excitement for me as British Ambassador here in Korea to know that Korean alumni of Imperial College are going to be helping to tackle some of the major challenges in the years to come – whether that’s climate change, or energy security, or further advances in medicine. Alumni networks are just so important and it’s really exciting to see that the Imperial alumni network is being re-launched today.”

In a message read out at the event, President & Rector Sir Keith O’Nions said: “I was delighted to hear about the meeting of Imperial alumni and students due to take place in Seoul on 17 August 2013. The event is an excellent way to bring alumni together and build a strong country network in South Korea.”

The Imperial College Alumni Association of Korea are now seeking additional committee members – alumni wishing to join the association or to find out more about these roles should contact Richard Shin by email.