Professor YOO Jung Yul stated that it was"too bad to have to leave the laboratory I had grown fond of" but that he was grateful to retire after time spent with"good faculty and students."
In 1977, after earning his doctorate in fluid engineering in the United States, Professor Yoo was appointed as a professor at SNU."At that time SNU was not familiar with fluid mechanics. It was difficult because there was no equipment or personnel for research or experiments." Although he had an interest in Newtonian fluids, Professor Yoo decided to branch out."Because of my ambition I decided to study different fields. As a professor at SNU I thought it was my duty to promote a higher level of academics."
Furthermore, during his time as the dean of the College of Engineering from 1990-2, Professor Yoo developed the College of Engineering under the 'University Expansion Plan'."I feel pride in having advanced the College of Engineering to the point it is at today. Under the 'University Expansion Plan' the original 740 students doubled in number and the College of Engineering campus extended to the current Building No. 301."
Professor Yoo counts his time on the Council of Education as one of his greatest memories as a professor."I remember spending nights with other council members to compose questions for the bongosa (entrance examination test before the suneung [CSAT]) because the college entrance examination system abruptly changed." Professor Yoo expressed his wishes to continue studying even after retirement.
Prof. LIE Chang-Hoon (Dept. of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering)
"Now that it is time to retire I realize how old I have grown," said Professor LIE Chang-Hoon, who expressed his regret in having to leave the laboratory in which he has worked for 35 years.
Famous as a pioneer of industrial engineering in the nation, Professor Lie did not intend to major in industrial engineering from the beginning. When he entered university in 1966 the field was unfamiliar and it was not until 1971 that SNU established the Department of Industrial Engineering."When I left for the United States to study I changed my major to industrial engineering without any prior knowledge of it. With my bare will I struggled to study it."
After returning to Korea Professor Lie served as a policy advisor to the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Information and Communication in 1981 and 1984 respectively."I participated in modernizing the logistics management system and transforming the database into an IT-based one," stated Professor Lie, proudly.
Most recently, Professor Lie's primary research interests lie in properly managing and preserving the stability of products or organizations in a given amount of time, which is called reliability engineering."In a world as complicated as today's, reliability engineering, which deals with how long the lifespan of a product is, is an attractive field of study." He expressed his hopes that"this field will continue to develop."
When asked of his most difficult memory during his 35 years of teaching, Professor Lie responded regretfully that there were many regrettable accidents that befell his graduate students."The most painful memory is when, during the 1980 Gwangju uprising, the vice-president of the Student Council from our engineering department passed away in the turmoil."
He concluded by saying,"This may be the most overused advice but I stick to it. When you study, do not cling to the small insignificant things but look at the bigger picture."
Prof. SUNG Koeng-Mo (Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering)
Professor SUNG Koeng-Mo expressed his joy upon retiring by stating,"I feel like I am free from the duties as a member of society and have time for myself; retirement is joyful and welcoming." Renown in the nation as the pioneer of acoustics, Professor Sung eloquently stated that"if music is the art of sound, acoustics is the science of sound."
After having studied in Germany, Professor Sung returned to Korea and established the Acoustical Society of Korea."I worked on several research projects such as requests by the Korean Navy for sonar analysis, sound analysis of the traditional instrument kugakki, and more."
Professor Sung's long time devotion to the study of acoustics is due to his love of music. He has been part of an amateur orchestra for seven years as a saxophonist. His most lasting memory is"playing a joint concert with a small village band in Germany. Even after I retire I hope to continue playing music."
Professor Sung's advice is"Do not try to imitate others but try to be unique." He says,"Do not live as a strawberry grown in a greenhouse but as a berry grown in the wild." He concluded by saying,"Even though you may encounter hardships, always be passionate about what you love and enjoy doing."
Prof. KO Chul Hwan (Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Natural Sciences)
"I am thankful for the opportunity I had as a professor to think freely about reality and the ideal," said Professor KO Chul Hwan."I feel like the 30 years I spent as a professor flew by."
Having majored in botany as an undergraduate, Professor Ko studied marine biology at Germany's University of Kiel where he often went scuba diving, which he recalls as the"period of adventures." After joining the faculty of SNU in 1981 his greatest challenge was research."A researcher must always live in continual effort despite disappointments."
Professor Ko is also an active voice when it comes to social issues. His research on Korea's west coast mud flat saved the ecosystem and became the foundation of today's civil society research and conservation efforts."Learning from the local community was equally pleasurable as learning in a research environment."
Professor Ko also fought for democracy at a time when Korea was ruled by a totalitarian government by chairing the Council of Korean Professors for Democracy.
An avid participant in external activities, Professor Ko stated,"There was a great pleasure in learning from social activities."
When asked of his plans for the future he humbly replied,"After retiring I should strive to get a job that is independent but I do not know if I will be able to get one." He judiciously added,"Life is the process of constant effort. I do not mean mediocre effort but the kind of effort that you embody with all your strength" and stated that he would strive to live in that manner.
Prof. AHN Tae In (Dept. of Life Sciences, College of Natural Sciences)
Professor AHN Tae In expressed,"The fact that I am retiring has not sunk in yet but I do feel a bit light-hearted."
Professor Ahn was offered a professorship at SNU in the Department of Biology Education after receiving his PhD in Molecular Biology in the States. Though he was active in various academic societies such as the Korean Molecular Biology Society and the Korean Heredity Society, he transferred to the biological sciences because he wanted to"focus more on the fundamentals of science." He added,"I am proud to have been part of the establishment and development of the department over the past ten years."
As chairman of the national academic aptitude exams (CSAT), Professor Ahn declared that"Making the questions for the CSAT (suneung) is a very complicated and difficult task. Having to spend over a month in an enclosed space is tiring, but making questions that would not create any disputes was the most difficult task."
As words of advice the professor said,"The life sciences are about finding the scientific principles underlying modern living. It is a field of study that I would like to challenge students who are interested in science and engineering but who are unclear about what specific major they would like to look into.
[For those currently in the biological sciences] Rather than simply studying with the purpose of going to medical or dental graduate school, try to discover an interest in biology and become the strength in the Korean sciences."
When asked of his future plans, Professor Ahn stated with a grin,"I want to embrace the challenge of anything new in the second chapter of my life."
Written by OH Jung Eun, SNU English Editor, josefinaoh@snu.ac.kr
Reviewed by Eli Park Sorensen, SNU Professor of Liberal Studies, eps7257@snu.ac.kr
Proofread by Brett Johnson, SNU English Editor, morningcalm2@gmail.com