Developed technologies to synthesize new drug delivery materials and polyester films
Transformed LG Chemicals' research center into a world-class institution and contributed to the globalization of Korea's bio industry
Nam Sok Choi
Former Director of LG Chemicals R&D Center
(1935~2022)
- Academic background
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1958
Graduated from Seoul National University, Department of Chemical Engineering
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1962
Master’ in Chemistry, Fort Hays Kansas State University, USA
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1970
Ph.D. in Chemistry, Brooklyn Institute of Technology, USA
- career
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1971~1974
Senior researcher at ALZA, USA
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1974~1979
Head of Research Department, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
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1980~1995
Director of Lucky Central Research Center
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1995~1995
Director of LG Chemical Technology Research Center
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1996~1999
Advisor to LG Chemicals, Director of LG BMI, USA
- Awards received
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1979
Order of Civil Merit, Magnolia Medal
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1993
Bronze Tower Order of Industrial Merit
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1997
Unkyung Award (Industrial Technology Division)
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2006
60 Engineers who vitalized Korea (National Academy of Engineering of Korea)
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2010
Top 100 leading Korean technologists (National Academy of Engineering of Korea)
Dr. Nam Sok Choi is known as a ‘Legend in bio-industry’ whose initiative and leadership have changed the history of R&D in Korea.
He was born in 1935 and became interested in science under the influence of his father, Choi Ki-chul, an ichthyologist. In 1954, he enrolled into the Department of Chemical Engineering at Seoul National University, where he organized and ran a study group, which led him to decide to major in polymer chemistry. He went to the United States to study at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, which is renowned for its researched in polymer chemistry, and received his doctoral degree in 1970. Upon the advice of his supervising professor who encouraged him to do a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Herman F. Mark, one of the founding fathers of polymer chemistry, he did his postdoctoral research at the said laboratory. This enabled him to gain teaching and research experience at the forefront of polymer chemistry.
After earning his degree, Dr. Choi decided to stay in the US, in an era where many Koreans returned to universities after earning their degrees. In 1971, he took the leap of faith to join a startup company, rather than joining a large corporation. He joined ALZA in Silicon Valley, which was pioneering the emerging field of drug delivery. He was the first to synthesize a polymeric coating material named CHRONOMER (ALZAMER) that degraded upon contact with water to enhance the effectiveness of drug delivery. This was a new and useful compound that contributed significantly to the advancement of drug delivery systems.
In 1974, Dr. Choi returned to Korea and took a position at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) where he could continue his scientific research. This was when Sunkyung approached him to develop the technology to manufacture polyester film. Together with researchers at the Polymer Chemistry Laboratory, he solved the issue of the fish eye effect, a thicker center like a convex lens that forms during the chemical polymerization process, and succeeded in developing the first domestically produced polyester film in 1977. This paved the way for Sunkyung to grow into a global company by dominating the world market for videotapes by breaking away from the traditional textile industry. This is regarded one of the monumental research achievements in KIST history. In addition, leveraging on his research experiences and learnings from ALZA, Dr. Choi also engaged in the development of long-lasting pesticides, aspirin and fertilizers.
In 1980, Dr. Choi moved to Lucky Central Research Center. Breaking away from the social norm of the time, he chose to join a company instead of a university. With a vision that the next generation's research battlefield would be in the corporate world, he ventured on to tackle bold challenges. Fortunately, Lucky had just built a central research center in Daedeok Research Complex and launched it with much anticipation. In the following year, he became the head of the center and focused on attracting high-level talents and conducting R&D in cutting-edge fields such as biotechnology, information materials, and batteries. He believed that while the focus should be on the future industrialization and commercialization of R&D that would drive companies in the next 10 years, the establishment of an open and autonomous research environment at companies should be no different from that of a university. He continuously asked for investment into new fields to the owners of Lucky, while consistently encouraging researchers to challenge and motivate themselves. The Biotech Research Institute, which he focused on, has developed into a multidisciplinary research group with the best human resources and cutting-edge facilities in Korea, and has become a frontier for new drug development. Biopharmaceuticals products, including growth hormones, interferon, hepatitis B vaccine, red blood cell hematopoietic factors, and synthetic drugs such as quinolone antibiotics, anticoagulants, AIDS drugs, and hepatitis C drugs have been developed. His desire for 'world-class' was reflected in the newly established R&D Center of LG Chemicals, the largest in Korea, which adopted a centralized and interstitial building structure.
As the longest-serving head of a private research institute for 15 years, he has led the research center to win the ‘IR52 Jang Young-Sil Award’ for outstanding new technology achievements for a total of 10 times, while its growth hormone generated over KRW 1 trillion in revenue. He was awarded the Order of Civil Merit, Magnolia Medal, the Bronze Tower Order of Industrial Merit, and the Unkyung Prize (Industrial Technology). Moreover, he was named in the list of "60 engineers who vitalized Korea" and "Korea's top 100 technologists" by the National Academy of Engineering of Korea. To date, he is known as a "Legend of the Korean bio industry" by his junior researchers.
Dr. Choi has not only made remarkable achievements in research and development, namely the synthesis of new drug delivery materials and developing polyester film manufacturing technology, but he has also contributed decisively to elevating the research centers of Korean companies to world-class status. His outstanding research and enterprising leadership make him a rare engineering leader in Korea.
