President Lee Jae-myung appointed Heo Min, a professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Chonnam National University, as the Administrator of the Korea Heritage Service on the 13th.
The new Administrator Heo, born in 1961, is from Suncheon, Jeonnam. After graduating from the Department of Geology at Chonnam National University, he earned a master's degree in geology from Seoul National University and a doctoral degree in geology from Korea University.
Administrator Heo has served as a specialist at the Cultural Heritage Committee of the Korea Heritage Service and as the Vice President of Chonnam National University. He is currently a co-representative of the Mt. Mudeungsan UNESCO Global Geopark and the chairperson of the national committee of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network, as well as a professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Chonnam National University.
Administrator Heo is known as a 'dinosaur doctor.' He named a dinosaur, presumed to have lived in the late Cretaceous period in the Korean Peninsula, 'Koreanosaurus,' based on fossils excavated in 2003 in Boseong-gun, Jeonnam. Koreanosaurus is the first dinosaur to be given a scientific name that references Korea.
In this presidential election, Administrator Heo also served as a co-executive representative alongside Yoo Jong-il, former dean of the Graduate School of International Studies at the Korea Development Institute (KDI), for the think tank 'Growth and Integration' that was launched by President Lee.
Presidential spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung noted regarding Administrator Heo, 'Having overseen the certification process for the Mt. Mudeungsan UNESCO Global Geopark in 2018 and achieving the final certification, we expect him to contribute to the preservation of our country’s heritage and the spread of K-culture recognized by the world.'
▲1961 ▲Suncheon, Jeonnam ▲Suncheon High School ▲Bachelor's in Geology from Chonnam National University ▲Master's in Geology from Seoul National University ▲Doctorate in Geology from Korea University ▲Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Chonnam National University ▲Chairperson of the Korean Committee of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network ▲Co-representative of the Mt. Mudeungsan UNESCO Global Geopark ▲Vice President of Chonnam National University ▲Specialist at the Cultural Heritage Committee of the Korea Heritage Service