The Bouchaepyo Gasong Foundation (also known as the Dongwha Pharm Foundation) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Korea have selected Son Eui-dong, professor emeritus at Chung-Ang University's College of Pharmacy, as the recipient of the 8th Yoon Kwang-yul Pharmacy Service Award, and Cho Dong-kyu, professor at Sungkyunkwan University's School of Pharmacy, as the recipient of the 19th Yoon Kwang-yul Pharmacy Award.
The foundation said on the 23rd that it held the awards ceremony on the 22nd at the Suwon Convention Center in Gyeonggi Province during the 2026 International Convention of the Pharmaceutical Society of Korea, marking the society's 80th anniversary. The Yoon Kwang-yul Pharmacy Service Award is given to members or honorary members based on a comprehensive assessment of their contributions to the advancement of pharmacy, while the Yoon Kwang-yul Pharmacy Award goes to members who have contributed to pharmaceutical development and produced outstanding academic research over at least 10 years.
Son was recognized for contributions to pharmacy education and academic development, having served as president of the Korean Society of Pharmacology, president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Korea and dean of Chung-Ang University's College of Pharmacy. Son led the hosting of the international convention marking the society's 70th anniversary and the publication of its 70-year history, and expanded academic exchanges among the pharmaceutical societies of Korea, China and Japan. Son also worked on improving the national pharmacist licensing examination system and establishing an evaluation framework aligned with the six-year pharmacy school curriculum. In research, Son has published about 320 papers, mainly in pharmacology, and has taken part in new drug development research through industry-academia partnerships with domestic and overseas pharmaceutical companies.
Cho, the recipient of the Pharmacy Award, is a researcher who has identified the causes of neurodegenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and uncovered new therapeutic targets. Cho has published more than 190 papers in international journals, which have been cited more than 22,000 times. Cho has also focused on commercializing research results through the development of treatments for degenerative diseases using exosomes, stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles, and through industry-academia cooperation.
The Bouchaepyo Gasong Foundation was established in 2008 with personal funds donated by Dongwha Pharm Chairman Yoon Kwang-yul and his wife, Kim Soon-nyeo. It has continued to support academic research and nurture talent through programs including academic awards in pharmacy and medicine and scholarships for university students.