JBNU Professor Han Jae-ik (College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Medicine) was awarded the Presidential Citation on Biodiversity Day 2026 (Migratory Bird Day) for his contributions to biodiversity conservation through wildlife medical treatment outcomes, the establishment of diagnostic testing systems, and the improvement and expansion of domestic clinical systems.

Professor Han has been responsible for the treatment and surgery of wildlife (such as birds of prey) within the public-clinical area of animal medicine. He has achieved release-to-the-wild success rates at least 10% higher than the national average, and has concurrently developed comprehensive diagnostic testing systems and clinical and diagnostic techniques specific to wild and exotic animals.

He was especially commended for disseminating the diagnostic systems and clinical techniques he developed, and for operating international and domestic training programs and organizing academic conferences based on them, thereby contributing to raising the professional capacity of workers in the biodiversity field.

Currently, Professor Han teaches wildlife medicine and exotic animal medicine at both undergraduate and graduate levels in the College of Veterinary Medicine at JBNU. He also oversees exotic animal clinical care at the Jeonbuk Animal Medical Center and the treatment of distressed wild animals at the Jeonbuk Wildlife Center.

In particular, he operates the country’s only specialized diagnostic laboratory for wild and exotic animals, has established specialized clinical systems — such as avian ocular disease care and reptile bone density testing — and has applied them in practice to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes.

Professor Han said, "This award recognizes the field-centered efforts for professional diagnosis and treatment that the College of Veterinary Medicine at JBNU and the Wildlife Rescue Center have built together," adding, "I will continue to treat birds, reptiles, and Korea's native wild mammals well and contribute to creating an ecological society where people and nature coexist."