Lim Sung Ki Foundation
The Lim Sung Ki Foundation contributes to the advancement of biotechnology and medical science technology to improve the quality of life for the nation.
The Lim Sung Ki Foundation is a public interest corporation established to inherit the management philosophy of the late Chairman Lim Sung Ki, who left a significant mark on Korea's pharmaceutical and bio-industry with his spirit of 'Creation, Innovation, and Challenge.' The Foundation aims to promote the development of medical science and biotechnology fields, and furthermore, to contribute to the enhancement of human health.
Mission | Improving the quality of life for the nation through contributions to the advancement of biotechnology and medical science technology |
Vision | Contributing to the realization of a healthy and prosperous society through research support in innovative new drug fields, including intractable diseases |
Key Businesses | ㆍAwards program for outstanding researchers in biotechnology and medical science |
Lim Sung Ki Researcher Award
Established in 2021, the Foundation's first initiative was to establish the 'Lim Sung Ki Researcher Award,' recognizing and honoring researchers who have contributed to new drug development through innovative research achievements in the fields of medical science and biotechnology. This award has now become the most prestigious award in the field of new drug research and development. Following the call for nominations, recommendations, and evaluation for the 5th Lim Sung Ki Researcher Award in 2025, Prof. Kim Hyongbum (Yonsei University College of Medicine) was selected as the final recipient of the Grand Research Award, and Prof. Han Yong-Hyun (Kangwon National University College of Pharmacy) was selected for the Young Researcher Award.
Lim Sung Ki Researcher Award Past Recipients
No | Category | Name | Affiliation | Research Achievements |
5th | Grand Research | Prof. | Yonsei University College of Medicine | Succeeded in comprehensive functional analysis of over 27,000 base variations in the ATM gene, a causative gene for hereditary cancer. Contributed to the realization of precision medicine and accelerated new drug development. |
Young | Prof. | Kangwon National University College of Pharmacy | Identified the mechanism of progression of steatohepatitis. Developed an innovative new drug candidate targeting 'IL-18'. | |
4 times | Grand Research | Prof. | Seoul National University, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences | World's first to identify the appetite-suppressing mechanism of GLP-1 obesity treatment through its brain action |
Young | Prof. | Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine | Discovered a new CD8 T-cell subset and developed an immunotherapy strategy for graft-versus-host disease | |
Prof. | Sungkyunkwan University, Department of Chemistry | Identified a new pathological role of TOX protein expressed upon infection with SARS-CoV-2, the COVID-19-causing virus | ||
3 times | Grand Research | Prof. | Seoul National University, Department of Biological Sciences | Discovered an RNA sequence that increases viral RNA stability and protein production |
Young | Prof. | Seoul National University College of Medicine | Developed the world's first ex vivo gene-editing cell therapy for tyrosinemia, a hereditary liver disease | |
Prof. | Samsung Medical Center, Division of Cardiology | Presented an indicator that can screen for high-risk groups of acute rejection in heart transplant patients | ||
2 times | Grand Research | Dr. | Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology | Identified INSL3 secreted by cancer cells as a factor causing eating disorders. Presented development potential as an anticancer adjuvant |
Young | Prof. | Seoul National University Hospital Division of Cardiology | Compared prasugrel de-escalation therapy with standard therapy. A clinical study that revealed a 52% reduction in bleeding-related events, proving it to be a safe regimen | |
Prof. | Seoul National University College of Medicine, Department of Medicine | Identified the immune kinetics of chronic kidney disease and, for the first time, Siglec-F–expressing neutrophils. Presented new drug development potential for renal fibrosis | ||
1 time | Grand Research | Dr. | Korea Institute of Science and Technology | Developed new anticancer immunonanoparticles that activate human immune cells to attack only cancer cells |
Young | Prof. | Ewha Womans University College of Pharmacy | Developed lipid nanoparticles, the first in Korea, to assist in the in vivo delivery of RNA therapeutics and mRNA vaccines | |
Prof. | KAIST Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering | Identified the infection mechanism of COVID-19 using human 3D alveolar culture technology and established a platform applicable to screening therapeutic candidates |
Research Support for Rare and Intractable Diseases
The Lim Sung Ki Foundation selects and supports outstanding research projects in the field of rare and intractable diseases, with an annual budget of 400 million KRW. In 2025, through a call for research proposals on neurological rare and intractable diseases, Prof. Cho Mi-La of Catholic University College of Medicine was selected for her systemic sclerosis research project. With support from the Lim Sung Ki Foundation, Prof. Cho Mi-La plans to investigate the mitochondrial dysfunction caused by Reverse Electron Transport (RET) and the main action mechanism of CD38 protein in T/B cells and fibroblasts, which are target cells causing pathogenesis in systemic sclerosis, and to research methods to regulate inflammatory and fibrotic active responses by normalizing mitochondrial function.
In 2026, the foundation plans to issue an additional call for basic and clinical research projects on musculoskeletal and connective tissue rare diseases, and it will offer various forms of support, from basic research to stable and sustainable funding, to enable the achievement of innovative results in rare and intractable disease research projects.
Rare and Intractable Disease Research Support Projects
Year | Project Title | Researcher | Affiliation | Research Period |
2025 | Mitochondria of immune cells and fibroblasts accompanying CD38 overexpression in systemic sclerosis elucidation of pathology and development of combination therapies regulating mitochondria | Prof. | Catholic University of | 2025.12~2028.11 |
2022 | Lower Limb Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA-LED) through Control of Dynein-BICD2 Binding Research on Establishing Treatment Strategies | Prof. | Seoul National University | 2022.12~2026.02 |
Development of induced pluripotent stem cell-based human disease models for pediatric chromosomal rare diseases and Identification of novel mechanisms through 3D chromosomal structure profiling | Prof. | Sungkyunkwan University | 2022.12~2025.11 |