The Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong Ho, hereinafter referred to as MSIT) announced that all members of the Korean team won medals (2 Gold, 2 Silver) at the 35th International Biology Olympiad*, achieving the team's best performance in the past five years**.

* International Biology Olympiad (IBO) / July 7-14, Astana, Kazakhstan

** (2020) 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze, (2021) 1 Silver, 3 Bronze, (2022) 3 Silver, 1 Bronze, (2023) 1 Gold, 3 Silver, (2024) 2 Gold, 2 Silver

At the event, which featured 295 students from 76 countries, Korean students Seok Jin-ju (Gyeongnam Science High School, 3rd year) and Cha Moo-kyeom (Gyeonggi Science High School, 3rd year) won gold medals, while Kwon Min-chan (Busan Science High School, 3rd year) and Shin Mideum (Seoul Science High School, 3rd year) secured silver medals.

The 35th International Biology Olympiad consisted of practical and theoretical assessments, with scores from both contributing 50% to the total. The practical assessment covered topics such as ① Molecular Biology, ② Biochemistry, ③ Bioinformatics, and ④ Animal Morphology and Physiology, and was conducted over 6 hours (90 minutes per topic). The theoretical assessment included 100 questions from ① Biosystematics, ② Cell Biology and Molecular Biology, ③ Ecology, ④ Ethology, ⑤ Genetics and Evolution, ⑥ Animal Morphology and Physiology, and ⑦ Plant Morphology and Physiology, split into morning (3 hours 15 minutes) and afternoon (3 hours 15 minutes) sessions, totaling 6 hours and 30 minutes.

This year's competition emphasized a comprehensive evaluation of life science knowledge and scientific thinking skills, reflecting the latest research trends in fields like biosystematics*.

*Biosystematics is a branch of biology that identifies biological diversity and establishes classification systems by studying evolutionary mechanisms and relationships among living things.

Kim Jae-geun, chair of the Korean Biology Olympiad Committee of the Korean Society of Biology Education and leader of the Korean team at the 35th International Biology Olympiad, stated, "I am delighted that our Korean students have achieved outstanding results at the International Biology Olympiad, reflecting their dedication and hard work. Seeing them enjoy exchanges with world-class talents in life sciences gives me confidence in the bright future of life sciences in Korea. I hope they will continue to develop their dreams and talents based on their experience at the International Biology Olympiad."

Meanwhile, the results of other international science Olympiads, including the International Young Physicists' Tournament (July 10-17, Budapest, Hungary) and the International Mathematical Olympiad (July 11-22, Bath, UK), will be announced in due course.

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division (Phone: +82-44-202-4034, E-mail: msitmedia@korea.kr) of the Ministry of Science and ICT. 

Please refer to the attached PDF.