Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) alumnus Jo Un-dae (CEO, Koen Design; Class of ’86, Department of Industrial Design) received the Seoktap Industrial Medal (Okjo Geunjeong Medal) in recognition of his contributions to expanding the pool of skilled workers with disabilities and discovering outstanding athletes.

Mr. Jo participated as a training and coaching committee member in the product design category at the recently held 8th International Abilympics, where the representative athlete won a gold medal and the national team achieved overall victory and a fifth consecutive championship, contributing to the enhancement of national prestige.

While serving as a technical committee member in the product design field of the International Abilympics, Mr. Jo, despite the long distance between the training site and his workplace, visited the athletes more than twice a week for six months to provide hands‑on coaching.

In particular, he strived to improve athletes' skills through efficient training, from basic product design instruction to live demonstrations of sketching and rendering.

Additionally, from 2007 to 2010 he served as a judge at various competitions, making significant contributions to discovering talented athletes and broadening the base of skilled workers with disabilities.

Meanwhile, Mr. Jo graduated from the Department of Industrial Design at JBNU and founded Koen Design Co., Ltd. in 2000, establishing the firm as a specialist in transportation vehicle design. In 2009 the company was selected by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy as the lead institution for bicycle development. Mr. Jo received the JoongAng Ilbo Next-Generation CEO Design Award in 2009 and won the silver prize at the Pinup Design Competition in 2010–2011.