KSBMB Steps Up Efforts to Bring the Biochemical Congress Back to Korea

Since signing an academic exchange agreement in 2025, KSBMB and FEBS have pursued substantive collaboration, including participation in each other’s conferences and the organization of joint symposia. Hundreds of international researchers attended the KSBMB 2026 International Conference in might, sharing their latest findings with Korean researchers. The partnership has facilitated researcher exchanges and expanded opportunities to international collaborative research, further strengthening KSBMB’s global standing.

Following the 2018 IUBMB Congress in Seoul, KSBMB has launched a renewed effort to bring the congress back to Korea. As part of this initiative, KSBMB conducted an active bid campaign at the 50th FEBS Congress, held this year in Maastricht, the Netherlands. Korean Night, co-hosted by KSBMB and FEBS during the congress, drew numerous researchers from Europe and around the world. The event provided KSBMB with an opportunity to showcase Korea’s outstanding research capabilities and infrastructure to hosting international scientific conferences, while broadening international support and strengthening partnerships to its bid to host the IUBMB Congress in Korea again.

The congress also brought further recognition of Korea’s growing stature in biochemistry. Professor Joon Kim, Distinguished Professor at Handong Global University and Professor Emeritus at Korea University, was formally appointed as a member of the European Biochemical Academy. Of the academy’s 95 biochemists, 26 are Nobel laureates, and Professor Kim is the first Korean researcher to be appointed to its membership. His selection as a full member of an academy that includes Nobel laureates and other world-renowned scholars is a symbolic milestone reflecting the international recognition of excellence in Korean biochemical research. It is also expected to serve as an crucial springboard to expanding Korean researchers’ global networks and participation in the international scientific community.

Meanwhile, KSBMB and FEBS co-organized a special session, “Cutting-edge techniques in biochemistry: past, present and future,” at the 50th FEBS Congress. Professor Hyun-Woo Rhee of Seoul National University and Professor Sang-Hee Shim of Korea University presented cutting-edge biochemical technologies and research findings, showcasing the strengths of Korean researchers to an international audience.

Members of the hosting committee representing KSBMB—including President Woong-Yang Park (Sungkyunkwan University), Bid Committee Chair Jin Han (Inje University), Chief Executive Officer Je Kyung Seong (Seoul National University), and International Committee Chair Tae-Kyung Kim (POSTECH)—stated: “Our collaboration with FEBS is yielding tangible results through joint sessions, conference collaboration, and the expansion of researcher networks”. They added, “Building on the success of ‘Korean Night,’ we will actively pursue re-hosting the IUBMB Congress in Korea and further enhance our international cooperation framework so that Korean researchers can play leading roles in the global scientific community”.

Going forward, KSBMB plans to expand cooperation with FEBS as well as the Federation of Asian & Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists (FAOBMB). The society will continue to support international joint research and academic activities to Korean researchers through various joint events and symposiums, including the 2027 KSBMB International Conference.