Professor Kim Hak-lin from Kyungpook National University and Professor Lee Su-yeon from Seoul National University Win Awards

Merck Korea announced the recipients of the Merck Award, an honor for researchers in the display and optoelectronics fields, at IMID 2026, and held an academic event discussing the development direction of display technology in the AI era.

Merck Korea participated in IMID 2026 held at BEXCO in Busan from August 18 to 21 and announced the recipients of the 23rd Merck Award.

This year's Merck Award was received by Professor Kim Hak-lin from Kyungpook National University, and the Merck Young Scientist Award was received by Professor Lee Su-yeon from Seoul National University.

Recognition for XR and Holography Research Contributions

Professor Kim Hak-lin was recognized for his contributions to advancing XR (extended reality) displays and holographic imaging fields through research on display optical technologies based on liquid crystal and curable liquid crystal materials.

Professor Kim has expanded his research scope from liquid crystal-based electro-optic devices to 3D displays, light-field displays, holographic displays, and XR optical systems. In particular, he has conducted research on multi-focal optical systems utilizing geometric phase-based active optical technology and digital holography technology.

Professor Lee Su-yeon, recipient of the Merck Young Scientist Award, was evaluated for his contributions to advancing next-generation display and semiconductor technologies through research on oxide thin-film transistor (TFT) devices and circuit technology.

Professor Lee has conducted research on oxide semiconductor-based TFT devices, OLED and micro-LED driving circuits, and low-power neuromorphic systems.

Discussion of Display Technology in the AI Era

Merck also held the Merck Science Connect event during IMID.

This year's theme was "Advancement of Displays: Convergence of Multifunctionality for the Future AI Era," with next-generation display technologies including OLED technology, liquid crystal materials, photoresist technology, and XR displays being addressed as major agenda items.

The event featured speakers including Merck's OLED and liquid crystal research and development director, representatives from LG Display, and Professor Kim Hak-lin, this year's Merck Award recipient, who shared industry trends and research achievements.

Merck established the Merck Award in 2004 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of liquid crystal research, and from 2026 has expanded the scope of awards to include not only the display field but also the optoelectronics field.