The Ministry of Science and ICT has finalized the official name of the Multipurpose Synchrotron Radiation Accelerator following a public contest and expert review.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 23rd that it has finalized the official name of the multipurpose synchrotron accelerator as 'Korea Light Source (KLS)'.

The name was selected through a public contest. Approximately 13,000 names were submitted to the contest held since April 1.

The evaluation was conducted through expert assessment and public voting, and five winning entries were selected based on criteria such as creativity, symbolism, and popularity.

The winning entries included Polaris, Cosmos, Hatch, Ochang Saebit Accelerator, and Daonbit.

Subsequently, the final name was determined through a separate naming committee that comprehensively reviewed factors such as trademark rights, international usability, and distinctiveness.

The 'Korea New Light Accelerator' carries the meaning of 'a new light illuminating the future of science and technology in the Republic of Korea.'

The English name 'KLS (Korea Light Source)' was designed to enhance usability in overseas research collaborations by utilizing the internationally used expression 'Light Source'.

In the future, this name will be used for the establishment of research facilities, international cooperation, academic activities, and more.

Synchrotron accelerators are large-scale research facilities utilized for material structure analysis and new materials research, and are considered a core infrastructure for basic science and industrial research.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced that it plans to proceed with a construction project so that the facility can be utilized as a national representative research infrastructure.