Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) Professor Hee‑jun Park (College of Human Ecology, Department of Housing Environmental Design) received the Minister's Award in the Academic Research and Technology category at the 28th Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Science and Technology Awards ceremony held recently, in recognition of outstanding research achievements through the High‑Value‑Added Wood Resource Advanced Technology Development Project.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Science and Technology Awards are presented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs based on a comprehensive evaluation of technological excellence, scholarly achievements, technology dissemination effects, and development potential. The awards recognize researchers who have contributed to technological advancement in the agriculture, forestry, and food sectors, and are regarded as the highest honors in the field.

Over the past five years, Professor Park has conducted the Korea Forest Service's High‑Value‑Added Wood Resource Advanced Technology Development Project, achieving outstanding research outcomes, including 15 SCIE‑indexed international journal articles, 16 intellectual property rights, New Excellent Technology (NET) and Green Technology (GT) certifications, certification for outstanding R&D innovative products, and numerous technology transfers.

In particular, the commercialization of new products based on the developed technology was highly valued for strengthening the competitiveness and increasing the sales of companies that received the technology transfer, thereby establishing a new growth foundation for the domestic wood industry.

The most notable achievement was a new technology for uniformly impregnating a fire‑retardant agent into domestic larch solid wood, which is difficult to treat with preservatives. This technology not only achieved the highest 'Class A' rating in the U.S. flame spread test but also secured the 'quasi‑noncombustible' grade under the fire safety performance standards of Korea and Japan.

Furthermore, wooden exterior cladding manufactured using this technology was judged compliant in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Notification No. 2023-24 'Quality Certification and Management Standards for Building Materials, etc.' full‑scale fire test, greatly expanding the potential for wood use in the domestic building exterior market.

The functional wood treatment technology developed by Professor Park's team demonstrated excellent performance not only in fire safety but also in sound absorption, moisture absorption and repellency, antibacterial and antifungal properties, termite resistance, and weather resistance. It is evaluated as having created an important turning point for the commercialization of next‑generation functional wood that complements the structural and environmental limitations of wood.

Professor Hee‑jun Park said, "I hope this technology will contribute to the safety of the public, the improvement of quality of life, and the protection of property," and added, "I also expect that domestically produced wood, certified for carbon storage, will be widely used across various fields such as building materials, outdoor facilities, and landscaping materials, thereby helping to strengthen the competitiveness of the domestic wood industry and to achieve carbon neutrality."