Korean Physicist Wins Top Prize, Says Quantum Race Still Open

A Korean physicist working at Imperial College London has achieved what no Korean scientist has before, winning one of the world's most prestigious awards for quantum physics and delivering a hopeful message about the technology race.

Professor Kim Myeong-sik, 64, received the Joseph Thomson Medal from the Institute of Physics on October 12th. The medal honors the legacy of J.J. Thomson, who discovered the electron, and recognizes researchers making breakthrough contributions to atomic and molecular physics.

Kim earned the award for his groundbreaking work transforming quantum properties into practical resources. He's already collected an impressive shelf of honors, including the Royal Society's Wolfson Research Merit Award in 2015, the Ho-Am Prize in Science in 2016, and the Carl Friedrich von Siemens Award in 2022.

But Kim isn't just celebrating. He's issuing a challenge to his home country.

"In terms of economic growth and national security, quantum is a strategic technology on par with AI," Kim told reporters immediately after receiving the award. "South Korea must secure technologies that only it can develop."

The race for quantum computing dominance has many countries worried they've already fallen behind. Kim offers a refreshing perspective: it's still early days.

"It's not a situation where a country or company will dominate the market with a completed quantum computer tomorrow," he explained. "If you consider leading countries to be graduating from elementary school, South Korea is at the kindergarten level, so there's no need to be impatient."

The Ripple Effect

Kim's optimism stems from understanding where opportunities still exist. He points to the Netherlands as inspiration, where the company ASML became irreplaceable in the global semiconductor industry through specialized photolithography equipment.

South Korea doesn't need to build complete quantum computers to matter in this revolution. Kim suggests focusing on "bottleneck technologies," the essential components everyone will need. Precision control systems for qubits, error reduction technology, and specialized algorithms could all become South Korea's ASML moment.

The strategy requires bold moves now, while winners remain undecided. The UK launched the world's first national quantum program in 2014. Singapore established its quantum research center in 2007. Both made big bets on emerging technology rather than chasing fields where others already dominated.

Kim stressed that investment alone won't work. "Cultivating talent is as important as investment," he said. "Society's leaders must recognize the importance of quantum technology."

He even invoked Genghis Khan, who despite being illiterate understood that maintaining an empire required reading and writing skills. Leaders don't need to understand every technical detail, but they must recognize what matters.

Kim credits his own success to collaboration. "I was able to conduct good research thanks to excellent students and colleagues," he said when asked about his latest honor.

The quantum future remains unwritten, and that's exactly what makes this moment so full of possibility.