On Friday, 17 January 2024, the Thammasat University Library welcomed a group of visitors from Pukyong National University, South Korea.

Pukyong National University (PKNU) is a national university in Busan, South Korea, formed in 1996.

The TU Library collection includes a number of books about different aspects of the life and history of Busan.

PKNU has a traditional focus on fisheries sciences and other maritime fields, and has extensive facilities for Marine and Technology studies.

The school’s mascot is an anthropomorphic whale, Baek Kyung-i.

According to the PKNU website, the school symbol is

• a compass as an image of intellectuals who, as university students, continuously focus on the future and innovation.
• This symbolizes Pukyong students who lead the development of local society as its key players, and who change the world in the manner of our school motto “The future is in our hands.”
• By using navy blue and sky blue, this indicates that Pukyong students have hearts as wide as the ocean, spirits as high as the sky and minds that are clear and transparent.

In December 2024, it was reported that

Korean GS Engineering & Construction (GS E&C) completed the construction of South Korea’s first land-based smart salmon facility in December 2024. The ‘Busan Smart Aquaculture Cluster’ is in the Fisheries Science Research Institute at Pukyong National University in Gijang-gun. […]

This new eco-friendly farm, which has two above-ground floors and one basement level, will produce 500 tons of Atlantic salmon annually using smart technology. The operations will be managed by Eco Aqua Farm, a subsidiary of GS Construction.

Among the advanced technologies are a recirculating filtration system that reuses more than 99% of the water, communication, and data storage devices, and a “smart” aquaculture platform. After two years of farming, the first shipment of Atlantic salmon is expected to be produced in 2026.

Regarding this project, [Pukyong National University President] Bae Sang-hoon said: “With the completion of the Busan Smart Aquaculture Cluster, we now have a strong foothold for technological independence and the development of advanced, eco-friendly aquaculture technologies. We expect this facility to significantly elevate the level of advanced marine technology in Busan.”

The ‘Smart Aquaculture Cluster Development Project’ is an initiative by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of Korea that aims to transform the Korean aquaculture industry into a digital industry.

The project is being developed in five regions, including Busan, Jeonnam, Gangwon, Gyeongbuk, and Jeju.

The PKNU website announced: 

Korea’s First Smart Salmon Farm Established at Pukyong National University’s Fisheries Science Institute.

-On the 20th, the Completion Ceremony of the Busan Smart Aquaculture Cluster… Atlantic Salmon Farming of 500 tons annually

Korea’s first smart salmon farm has been established at Pukyong National University (President Bae Sang-hoon) Fisheries Science Institute.

On December 20th, Pukyong National University, Busan Metropolitan City, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and GS Construction held the ‘Busan Smart Aquaculture Cluster Completion Ceremony’ at the Fisheries Science Institute site(Dongbaek-ri, Busan).

The completion ceremony was attended by Pukyong National University President Bae Sang-hoon, Busan Deputy Mayor Kim Kwang-hwe, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kang Do-hyung, and GS Construction CEO Heo Yoon-hong.

The Busan Smart Aquaculture Cluster, which broke ground in 2022 and was completed with two floors above ground and one basement level, is an eco-friendly farm that can produce 500 tons of Atlantic salmon annually using smart technology. The operation is managed by ‘Eco Aqua Farm,’ a subsidiary of GS Construction.

This aquaculture facility, which farms Atlantic salmon on land rather than at sea, uses a recirculating filtration system that reuses more than 99% of the water. It incorporates advanced technologies such as sensors, communication and data storage devices, and a smart aquaculture platform. After a two-year farming period, the first shipment of Atlantic salmon is expected in 2026.

The Busan Smart Aquaculture Cluster, which was selected for the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ Smart Aquaculture Cluster Development Project in 2019, officially began operation following its completion, marking a significant milestone in the collaboration between Busan City, GS Engineering & Construction, and Pukyong National University, and becoming a representative example of successful government, industry, and academia cooperation.

Bae Sang-hoon, the president of Pukyong National University, stated, “With the completion of the Busan Smart Aquaculture Cluster, we now have a strong foothold for technological independence and the development of advanced, eco-friendly aquaculture technologies. We expect this facility to significantly elevate the level of advanced marine technology in Busan.”

Meanwhile, the ‘Smart Aquaculture Cluster Development Project’ is a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries initiative aimed at transforming Korea’s labor-intensive aquaculture industry into a digital industry by incorporating advanced technologies like information and communication technology (ICT). The project is being developed across five regions, including Busan, Jeonnam, Gangwon, Gyeongbuk, and Jeju, with Busan being the first to complete the facility and begin full-scale operations.

In other recent news,  Pukyong National University has awarded an honorary diploma to the prominent Korean sculptor and alumnus Kwon Dal-sul on December 24, 2024:

On the morning of that day, the university held a ceremony in the president’s office, where Kwon Dal-sul was presented with the honorary diploma in recognition of his efforts to revitalize the art scene in Korea and contribute to the development of the art community in Busan, thereby enhancing the university’s reputation.

Kwon Dal-sul, an honorary professor at Shilla University, has served as the chairman of the Buil Art Exhibition Organizing Committee, the chairman of the Sea Art Festival Organizing Committee, and the president of the Busan Sculptors Association. He is recognized as a leading figure in the art world, having won the Gold Medal at the Busan Art Exhibition and multiple awards at the National Art Exhibition of Korea.

Kwon Dal-sul graduated from Busan Industrial High School in 1959, went on to earn his degree in Sculpture from Seoul National University’s College of Fine Arts, and completed his graduate studies at Dong-A University’s Graduate School of Education. He later became a professor and dean at Shilla University’s College of Arts.

The Busan Industrial High School, from which Kwon Dal-sul graduated, was later reorganized into Busan University of Technology and, after merging with Busan Fisheries University, became what is now known as Pukyong National University.

Pukyong National University organized this honorary degree ceremony to honor Kwon Dal-sul, an alumnus with academic ties to the university before its merger, for his contributions to the art world.

Kwon Dal-sul stated, “It is an honor to receive a diploma from Pukyong National University, which has grown into such a prestigious institution. I will continue to dedicate myself to the development of the university and the local art community.”

(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)