The Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science & Creativity (KOSAC) announced on the 1st that it held the founding general meeting of the Science Media Center Korea (SMCK) at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul.
The Science Media Center establishment committee has been preparing the "Comprehensive Support Plan for Establishing the Science Media Center" since last year through meetings and public hearings. The founding general meeting made decisions on key matters regarding the establishment, such as the appointment of executives, bylaws, and business plans based on this plan.
On that day, Professor Emeritus Noh Jeong-hye of Seoul National University was appointed as the first chairperson of the Science Media Center, and Lee Geun-young, a planning committee member of the Social Criticism Academy (former science reporter for Hankyoreh), was appointed as the center director. Additionally, 9 other directors and 1 auditor were appointed as executives.
The Science Media Center is modeled after science media centers operating in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Germany, and Spain. It was established in 2002 by the Royal Society in the United Kingdom to provide scientifically based information on controversies surrounding genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
The Science Media Center is scheduled to be established as an independent nonprofit foundation with approval from the Ministry of Science and ICT, and it is expected to begin full-scale operations as early as September. It plans to provide real-time comments from researchers to the media on notable research outcomes or social issues and support media training and workshops for researchers and reporters.