- 1981 - 1986Ph.D., Chemistry, Stanford University, USA
- 1976 - 1978M.S., Chemistry, KAIST
- 1972 - 1976B.S., Chemistry, Seoul National University
- 2012 – Director, Center for Self-assembly and
Complexity (CSC), Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
- 2009 – University Professor, POSTECH
- 2007 – 2009Chong Yeol Hong Professor, POSTECH
- 2004 – 2005Visiting Scholar, Harvard University, USA
- 1997 – 2012Director, Center for Smart Supramolecules (CSS)
- 1995Visiting Scholar, MIT, USA
- 1988 – Professor, POSTECH
- 1986 – 1988Research Fellow, Northwestern University, USA
- 2014 Knowledge Creation Award in 2014, Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning
- 2012 Honorary Professor, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
- 2012 The Izatt-Christensen Award
- 2011 E. Muetterties Memorial Lectureship Award, University of California, Berkeley
- 2008 Best Scientist and Engineer Award, Korean Government
- 2007 Prime Minister Prize, Science Innovation Section, NANO KOREA Awards
- 2006 Named as a Role Model Scientist, Ministry of Science and Technology
- 2006 The Samsung Ho-Am Prize in Science
- 2003 Fellow elected, Korean Academy of Science and Technology
- 2002 TWAS Award, Third World Academy of Sciences
- 2002 Korea Science Prize, Korean Government
- 2001 Doyak Medal, the Order of Science & Technology Merit, Korean Government
- 1999 Distinguished Research Award, Korean Chemical Society (KCS)
- 1998 Outstanding Research Award, Division of Inorganic Chemistry, KCS
- 1997 Best Paper Award, Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies
