Welcome to the Korean world. In this post, we will discuss the history of science and technology in Korea. We will look back at the history of science and technology in Korea. Energy-resources, electric-electronic, transport and machinery,petrochemicalsl, space, semiconductors and ICT, and other ‘World-changing Korean science technologies’ are the main topics of the Science Heritage from the Chosun Dynasty to Modern Astronomy Technology exhibitions.
1. New Solar Energy Car
New renewable energy refers to new and renewable energy sources. Solar energy, hydropower, geothermal heat, bioenergy, and converted fossil fuels are used to generate renewable energy. This display lets you engage with this process.
2. First Korean-Made Car: Hyundai Pony
For its style and affordability, it was an instant success following its introduction, despite being smaller than typical automobiles. It featured a powerful engine and good performance.
3. Araon
The first Korean-made ice breaker has 10 labs with over 60 high-tech research equipment and is a mobile ocean laboratory.
4. Suwon Fortress
The fortress was built using Chung Yak-Yong’s pulley and crane irrigation system, which could carry 25,000 Kun or 15,000kg.
5. The Bell of Seongdeok
King Kyeongdeok dedicated the Bell of Seongdeok to his father in A.D. 765 and finished it in A.D. 771.
6. Kye Young Bae or Pythagorean Cup
advises against excessive drinking and is a reasonable drinking cup. Siphoning causes the cup to empty through the base when 70% full with alcohol. It represents man’s insatiable greed and thirst for control.
7. The Honcheonheon Clock,
The clock invented by astronomer Song I-Yeong in 1669, is the Korean national treasure number 230. A functional clock mechanism activates the sphere, revealing the universe’s current location.
8. Seokgakchunmoondo
Seokgakchunmoondo is a Western constellation-engraved stone plaque.
9. The World’s Oldest Rainfall Gauge
Treasure 1652, is located on the Science Museum’s 2nd level. The bronze cast main body and three parts.
10. Hwacha
Hwacha created in 1409 under King Munjong, includes a cart-mounted multi-rocket launcher that can fire 50 or 200 thin arrows.
11. Admiral Lee Sun-Shin created Geobukseon
The first iron-clad cruiser. The ship had a turtle head on its bow and iron plates to protect its rowers.
Major Korean inventions
Korean Ceramics
- The Koryo dynasty created celadon with light jade green glaze and inlaid design in the 10th century.
- The inlay method creates the illusion of images hovering above pots.
- The Goreyo dynasty made jade-green celadon a distinctive ceramic style.
- Mid-12th century method. Surface inlaying involves incising patterns.
- Goreyo artisans created the vessel. Worldwide at the time, only China and Korea had celadon ceramic technique ware.
Black and white inlays were a Korean pottery innovation put under the glaze to resemble clouds, cranes, and flowers, commonly with crackling. An optical effect of the picture drifting is seen.
Owing to enhanced reflection and local brightness from the pot interior crack surfaces. Some poets have described flights and floating visions at feasts.
Korean Alphabet: Hangul
- In 1443, King Sejong created the Korean alphabet.
- An alphabet divides written language into syllables.
- 10 vowels, 14 consonants
- Scientifically, Hangul follows voice organ forms as they create sounds.
- “A wise man can learn them in the morning; a fool can learn them in ten days.”
Hangul, a phonetic alphabet with 10 vowels and 14 constants, was designed by one individual. Before Hangul, most Koreans were illiterate and utilized Chinese characters. The Korean language requires a new script, King Sejong said was unlike Chinese; writing with Chinese characters was difficult for the commoners that only male aristocrats could read and write developed to teach commoners to read and write.
Moveable Metal Printing Type
- Invented before 1232 in the 13th century during the Goryeo dynasty In 1377, the first moveable metal print book in Korea was created, a Buddhist document known as Jikji.
- Metal typography was used 78 years before Gutenburg.
In late Goryeo, priest Baegun composed the basics of Zen Buddhism in two volumes. The first volume is lost, while the second is in the Bibliothèque.
Printing Korean Tripitaka Woodblocks
- Buddhist Tripitaka woodblocks
- 81,258 woodblocks
- After 16 years (1236–1251), the project was completed.
- Long-term preservation of woodblocks was achieved by a particular procedure.
The Tripitaka Koreana, the most complete collection of Buddhist texts, was engraved on 80,000 woodblocks between 1237 and 1248 at the Temple of Haeinsa on Mount Kaya. Janggyeong Pangeon, a 15th-century building, houses the woodblocks, which are also considered works of art. As the earliest Tripitaka repository, they demonstrate amazing expertise. Creation and application of various preservation methods woodblocks.
Innovative inventions: Geobukseon (Turtle-Shaped Warship)
General Yi Sun-shin constructed the first ironclad vessel, Geobukseon (Turtle-shaped vessel), in 1592 against the Japanese invasion. The ships were agile and featured armored, spiked decks and weapons. Geobukseon replicas, a military technical breakthrough, are on display. There are many national museums, including the War Memorial of Korea, U.S., the English National Maritime Museum, and historical museums in countries like China and Germany.
The Mechanical Water Clock
In 1433, Jang Yeong-sil invented the Striking Palace Clepsydra, an automatic time-annunciating clock. Its unique feature was its ability to announce dual-times with both visual and audible signals. Jang also developed a signal conversion technique to measure analog and digital time simultaneously and separate the water mechanisms from the ball-o.
Smartwatch Braille
The Dot, introduced by a Korean entrepreneur, is the first Braille wristwatch with a tactile button display and Bluetooth connectivity.
Astronomy
Cheolcha Bunyajido
The Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido, a planisphere engraved on black marble, was completed in 1395 during King Taejo’s reign. It is based on a lost star chart from ancient Goguryeo, making it the second oldest stone star chart in the world, after the Chinese Suzhou Star Chart of 1247. The earliest known constellation patterns in Korea can be found on dolmens from 3000 BC [245].
Cheomseongdae
The Cheomseongdae observatory, built in Seorabeol, Silla, during Queen Seondeok’s reign in the 7th century, is the oldest surviving astronomical observatory in Asia and possibly the world. It was modeled on Baekje’s Jeomseongdae, which now exists only in historical records.
Technology
1. Electronics
3D Hologram
In 2015, the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute created the first 360-degree color hologram.
Nanoprinting Pen 3D
The first nanoscale 3D printing pen was created by Seongpil Hwang of Korea University in 2014.
A 5G Phone
Samsung introduced the Galaxy S10 5G, the first 5G smartphone, in 2019.
Smartphone with Curve
Samsung introduced the Galaxy Round, the first smartphone with a curved display, on October 10, 2013.
SDRAM with Double Data Rate (DDR)
Samsung introduced the first commercial DDR SDRAM chip in June 1998, after a 1997 demonstration.
2. MPMan
EyeCan
In 2012, Samsung introduced the EyeCan, the first non-special equipment eye tracking mouse.
Flexible Battery
KAIST researchers created the first completely functioning, flexible electronic battery system in 2012. In 2013, Professor Lee Sang-young of Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology produced the first bendable lithium ion batteries.
Floating-gate MOSFET
Dawon Kahng and Simon Min Sze devised the floating-gate MOSFET in 1967, laying the groundwork for other semiconductor memory devices.
Graphics DDR SDRAM (GDDR)
In 1998, Samsung Electronics released GDDR, formerly known as DDRSGRAM (double data-rate synchronous graphics RAM).
Memory With High Bandwidth
SK Hynix and AMD developed High Bandwidth Memory, a RAM interface for 3D-stacked DRAM, optimised for usage with graphics accelerators and network devices.
Phone With LTE
In 2010, Samsung introduced the SCH-r900, the first LTE mobile phone, and the Galaxy Indulge, the first LTE smartphone, in 2011.
The MOSFET is a Semiconductor Device
Dawon Kahng and Mohammed Atalla at Bell Labs invented the metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) in 1959. It is a fundamental component of modern electronics and a key component of the Digital Revolution.
MP3 Phone
Samsung produced the first mobile phone with MP3 playback, the SPH-M2100, in 1999.
MP3 Player
The first commercial MP3 player, the MPMan, was introduced by SaeHan Information Systems in 1997.
Online Electric Car
KAIST researchers created a wireless power system for online electric vehicles (OLEVs) using shaped magnetic field resonance technology. The first OLEV buses began operating in Gumi in March 2014.
Retina Display
LG created and Apple purchased the “Retina” display.
Rollable Keyboard
LG released the first solid rollable keyboard in 2015.
SDRAM is a Kind of Synchronous Hardware
In 1992, Samsung Electronics released the first commercial synchronous dynamic random-access memory (SDRAM) chip, the KM48SL2000, which was mass-produced in 1993.
Tablet PC
Samsung introduced the first tablet computer, the GRiDPad, in 1989 after acquiring GRiD Systems Corporation in 1988. The GRiDPad was based on the Samsung PenMaster, which was never sold commercially.
Phone With Touchscreen
Introducing the LG Prada, the first fully touchscreen mobile phone with a capacitive touchscreen.
Resistive Transparent RAM
KAIST scientists created the first transparent computer chip, transparent resistive random access memory (TRRAM).
TV-Phone
Samsung created the first TV phone, the SCH-M220, in 1999.
Flash Storage is Universal
Samsung created the first UFS memory cards.
Check Phone
Samsung introduced the SPH-WP10, the first watch phone, in 1999.
Wearable Thermogenerator
Byung Jin Cho and his team at KAIST developed a lightweight, flexible thermoelectric (TE) generator that draws power from body heat.
3. Appliances
Digital Fridge
LG Electronics launched the Internet Digital DIOS, the first digital refrigerator, in 2000.
Dual Washer
LG Electronics introduced the “TWIN Wash System” in 2015, the first washing machine to wash two loads concurrently.
A Fridge for Kimchi
In 1995, Winia Mando invented the first commercial kimchi refrigerator to satisfy its storage needs.
The Steam Closet
LG created the Styler closet in 2011 to steam clean clothes hanging inside without water or detergents in hotels, airports, casinos, and households in Korea.
A Steam Mop
Romi Haan invented the steam mop in 2001 to sanitize floors with hot steam.
Wall-Mounted Drum Washer
In 2012, Dongbu Daewoo Electronics debuts the “Mini” wall-mounted drum washing machine.
4. IT Information Technology
5G
Korea launched the first 5G network in April 2019.
Ringback Tone for Calls
SK Telecom introduced the caller ringback tone (CRBT) service in 2002, allowing subscribers to choose music or audio clips instead of the standard ‘ringing’ tone when dialing their number. Witcom developed the service in 2001.
Smartcard Without Contact
Since 1995, Seoul has been the first city to employ contactless smart cards for computerized ticketing.
Digital Multimedia Broadcasting
South Korea created digital multimedia broadcasting for mobile devices.
Electronic Promissory Note
After years of development, the Korean Ministry of Justice and a consortium of financial institutions launched an electronic promissory note service in 2005, allowing entities to make notes payable in business transactions digitally instead of on paper for the first time in the world.
Television on the Go
Digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) allowed Korea to launch mobile television service in May 2005.
Virtual Shop
Homeplus opened the first virtual shop at Seolleung Station in 2011, allowing customers to buy things using their cellphones and scan QR codes using the app, with delivery options.
WiBro
WiBro, developed by Samsung Electronics in 2005, is the first commercial mobile WiMax system worldwide. In April 2007, KT launched full commercial WiBro services in Seoul and its environs, marking a global first.
5. Robotics
Albert HUBO
Hanson Robotics and KAIST created Albert HUBO, the first walking humanoid robot with an artificial head, in 2005.
Cancer-Fighting Nanobot
The Channam National University in South Korea created a “bacteriobot” nanobot that targets and eliminates cancer cells in the bloodstream, leaving healthy cells unaffected.
Auxiliary Microbot
Hongsoo Choi’s team at the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology created the first ciliary microrobots that act like single cells.
EveR-1
In May 2003, EveR-1, developed by the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, became the second Android device in the world.
HUBO
Established in 2004, KAIST’s HUBO is the second walking humanoid robot and the first to walk naturally.
MAHRU
MAHRU (formerly NBH-1) is the first network-based humanoid robot in the world, developed by a team at Korea Institute of Science and Technology and debuted in March 2005.
Bipedal Human Robot
World’s first manned bipedal robot is South Korea’s Method-2.
Robotic Thyroidectomy
RATS, or robotic thyroidectomy (RT), is a minimally invasive surgical procedure developed in Korea to remove the thyroid without neck scarring.
Robot Jail Guard
Lee Baik-chul, a professor at Kyonggi University, developed the first robot jail guard in 2011 that employs 3D cameras to identify anomalous human behavior patterns.
6. Entertainment Tech
4DX
In 2009, South Korean corporation CJ Group developed 4DX, the first 4D theater system that enhances movies with environmental effects.
LED Cinema Screen
In 2018, Samsung Electronics introduced the first commercial cinema LED screen, a 10.3-meter wide, 4K screen with brightness “ten times greater than that offered by standard projector technologies,” in the Super S auditorium at the Lotte World Tower in Seoul.
ScreenX
ScreenX, developed by South Korean company CJ Group in 2012, is the world’s first multi-projection technology that projects pictures onto theater walls for 270-degree viewing.
7. Internet
Internet Cafe
In 1988, Ahn Sangsu and Keum Nuri opened the “Electronic Café” in front of Hongik University in Seoul, South Korea. The first modern Internet café opened in 1994. Korean Internet cafés, known as PC bangs, became popular in the late 1990s due to the growth of the Internet and gaming industry.
MMORPG
Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds, published by Nexon on April 5, 1996, is one of the first graphic MMORPGs worldwide.
A Q&A platform
In 2002, Naver, a dominant South Korean search site, introduced Knowledge Search, a community-driven question-and-answer platform. In 2005, Yahoo! developed Yahoo! Answers, based in part on Naver’s Knowledge Search.
Loot box
The first loot box system was introduced in MapleStory, a Japanese side-scrolling MMORPG, in June 2004. Players used “Gachapon tickets” to obtain randomly selected game items at an in-game booth, similar to real-life gachapon machines.
The National Intranet
In 2000, North Korea created Kwangmyong, also known as the first national intranet.
eSports
In 1997, PC Bang Chains launched the first national online gaming league, the “Korea Pro Gamers League”. Park Ji-won of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism coined the term “eSports” in February 2000, launching the Korea e-Sports Association. OGN was the first online game specialty channel and opened the first eSports dedicated station.
Social Network
South Korea’s Cyworld was the first major social networking website with individual home pages and automated communication mechanisms, paving the way for popular sites like Facebook and Myspace.
Free-To-Play
Nexon, based in Korea, pioneered the free-to-play concept in online games with QuizQuiz, debuted in October 1999. Lee Seungchan later founded MapleStory.
Webtoon
In 2003, Daum introduced the “Webtoon” digital platform, using digital technology to create a new kind of manhwa (comics). The Korea Creative Content Agency states that “Webtoons are not just scanned versions of print comics.” A brand-new genre for the Internet era.”
Mukbang
The “eating broadcast” or “social eating” is an internet broadcast where the presenter eats while engaging with viewers. AfreecaTV pioneered this Internet culture in 2009.
Reporting by Citizens
OhmyNews, founded in 2000, is the first online newspaper to publish reports from readers, called “citizen journalists,” enabling civil participation in opposition to conservative press. It was a major influence on the 2002 South Korean presidential election.
Stickers
Navier produced stickers for its LINE instant messaging program in Japan, containing famous characters and themes. Kang Byeongmok, known as “Mogi”, designed the initial default characters and stickers, known as LINE Friends, in 2011.
Exchange Cryptocurrency Offline
Korean cryptocurrency exchange Coinone inaugurated Coinone Blocks, the world’s first cryptocurrency trading floor.
Online Video Ad Platform
Pandora TV, launched in October 2004, was the first video sharing service to display ads on user-submitted clips and provide unlimited storage.
Site for Live Streaming
The first live streaming site outside of Korea was Livestream, founded in 2007, whereas AfreecaTV, started in 2005, was the first globally.
8. Architecture
Ondol
A 2,500-year-old Korean underfloor heating system, the ondol, was once considered the oldest until the discovery of a similar system in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands. The archaeologist who discovered it agrees with Korean researchers that the two systems developed independently due to the distance of 5,000 kilometers and the absence of similarities.
Seokbinggo
In the past, the Silla kingdom developed a refrigeration system called seokbinggo, which stored food and ice in underground chambers.
Korean Fortress
Koreans developed a unique and distinct fortress tradition. Korean fortresses were based on a stone culture and built with stones on natural mountainous terrain; therefore, they are conceptually completely different compared to Chinese fortresses, which were based on an earth culture and built with bricks and stamped earth on flat land.Korean fortresses were invented by Goguryeo and spread to Baekje and Silla, and then inherited and further developed by Goryeo and then Joseon.
Goguryeo fortress ruins have been found in about 170 sites to date, including in China; one of the most notable among them is Ansi Fortress, which successfully defended against Tang Taizong during the Goguryeo–Tang War. Korea, beginning with Goguryeo,has been called “a country of fortresses”; almost 2,400 mountain fortress sites have been found in Korea. Korean-style fortresses can also be found in Japan, which were constructed and supervised by immigrants of Baekje origin.
Korean Pagoda
Koreans developed a distinct pagoda tradition using stone, while India and China used earth, which spread to Korea and Japan. China used bricks, Korea used stone, and Japan used wood. Korean stone pagodas were first created in Baekje.
