Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) Department of Environment and Energy Convergence doctoral candidate Eui-jong Lee (supervisor Professor In-ah Seo) recently received the Outstanding Master's Thesis Award at the 2025 Autumn Meeting of the Geological Society of Korea. 

Lee presented research that elucidated the relationship between grain-size sorting of deep-sea clays in the northwestern Pacific and the enrichment characteristics of rare-earth elements, and was highly regarded.

In particular, Lee's integrated interpretation of the physical and geochemical indicators of deep-sea sediments to explain the mechanisms of rare-earth element enrichment drew scholarly attention. 

Lee said, "I am grateful to Professor In-ah Seo and the members of the laboratory for their advice and assistance during the research," adding, "I intend to pursue more in-depth seafloor research that integrates paleoceanographic and resource-geological perspectives."