The accolades highlighting Professor Kim's stature are too numerous to list comprehensively. Not only is he a top 1% researcher in the world, but he has also been recognized as one of the Korean scientists who could plausibly win the Nobel Prize by Thomson Reuters (the predecessor of Clarivate), and was appointed as Korea University’s first Distinguished Professor. The achievements of his students are equally impressive, with frequent announcements of their outstanding papers and awards. However, when we visited the lab, the atmosphere was surprisingly pleasant and heartwarming, contrary to the intense and stern environment one might expect. Approximately 20 researchers are spread across five laboratories, each conducting their assigned research and experiments. They all gather together as if it was a holiday during get-togethers. Professor Kim also said that while the lab’s achievements are remarkable, its greatest pride lies in “being a place where passionate and diligent researchers conduct research for the future of humanity.”

The lab usually starts operating at 9 AM. Although working hours conclude at 6 PM, it is common for experiments to run late, making the lab a bustling place into the night.

Jae-won Our main research goal is to make progress in targeted therapies. We are focusing on triple-negative breast cancer and Alzheimer’s, which are considered the most challenging problems in global medicine. We are working on cancer-targeted treatments that treat only cancer cells, and conducting research to develop fluorescent substances for Alzheimer’s diagnosis and treatments for the disease.

When asked about the secrets behind the lab’s cheerful and close-knit atmosphere, all the students agreed without hesitation that all credit should go to Professor Kim. Despite his busy schedule, he carefully looks after each researcher and ensures that every student gets as many opportunities as possible.

Seok-jin Even though there are many of us in the lab, Professor Kim provides detailed feedback on each person’s project based on its progress. He makes efforts to bring as many people as possible to places where they can gain experience, such as academic conferences. I am always grateful for that.

Jae-won Professor Kim is a world-renowned chemist. He even received the Presidential Award last year. And he also makes his classes enjoyable (laughs). Because he is very popular among undergraduate students, our lab is always highly competitive. 

Although he is a world-renowned researcher, Professor Kim values the educational role of university as much as its research function. With the attention and trust of their mentor, his students constantly ask questions and dedicate themselves to innovation, growing into warm and excellent next-generation researchers.

Dong-eun I really like the culture where we can ask questions freely whenever we do not know something. The professor and senior students explain things in as comprehensible way as possible instead of scolding or nagging.
Jae-won Organic chemistry is a difficult field to study on your own. Senior and junior researchers are paired together, one as a mentor and the other as a mentee, sharing concepts and experimental know-how while working on projects together.
Ji-young When experiments do not go well, I ask the senior students a lot of questions. Looking at things from different perspectives is helpful in finding solutions.
Seok-jin The lab leader is a forward-looking person. He makes experimental and bold attempts to solve problems. Thanks to him, the various mundane tasks of running the lab typically handled by the youngest member are now fairly distributed among all researchers. When handling lab equipment, he does not just follow traditional practices but seeks to find better methods, which allows us to learn a lot.



With an atmosphere where the students do not fear questions or failures and respect each other as colleagues, combined with the accumulation of time spent together participating in symposiums, international conferences, and thesis studies, the members of the lab have become more than mere lab mates, and truly support each other.

Ji-young There are days when we stay late into the night doing experiments, but it is not hard. It is actually most stressful when experiments do not turn out well. At those times, we drink together, go to a coin karaoke room, and take pictures at a photo booth to cheer ourselves up. I must take those photo booth pictures whenever I drink; it is an essential part of the process for me (laughs). We post the pictures up in a corner of the lab. Oh, and our lab has a sports leader! One time, we had an arm-wrestling tournament during a lab get-together, and the sports leader did an amazing job running it. Our lab is preparing for a sports event, and everyone is really looking forward to it.
Dong-eun Since joining this lab, I have learned that it is okay to fail. Even if experiments do not go as planned, we can always find another way.
Ji-young I did not have much ambition in terms of research initially, but as an undergraduate intern, I found experimenting incredibly fun. The anticancer drugs and diagnostic agents our lab is developing are ultimately for the benefit of people. I am excited to be able to do meaningful work using the chemistry I have learned. I want to do well in my research and complete a good paper.
Jae-won As a senior researcher, I need to prepare for my next career step. I met Professor Kim when I was contemplating between being a teacher and a researcher. Professor Kim graduated from the College of Education at Kong-ju National University and even refers to himself as a teacher. He guides us warmly, just like a real teacher. Seeing him, I often think about how I want to be like him. Just like Professor Kim, I want to become a researcher who actively engages in research while also dedicating myself to educating future researchers.

The eyes of the researchers of the Next-Generation Molecular Theranostics Lab beamed with pride as they talked about their lab, their mentor who leads it, and their own research. The joy of solving humanity’s toughest problems through their honed academic skills and contributing to humanity with their knowledge must be unparalleled. Let’s look forward to the future of Professor Kim Jong-seung and the brilliant researchers of the Next-Generation Molecular Theranostics Lab, who are ready to become the next generation of distinguished chemists not only in Korea but also around the world.