Jung Sun Kim is a South Korean professor of Biomedical Laboratory Science. She studied at Ewha Womans University, an all‑women’s university in Korea, where she chose pharmacy after her father encouraged her to enter an applied science with good job security. She later completed a master’s in pharmacognosy and a PhD in medicinal chemistry in the United States, at a time when it was unusual for Korean women to study abroad alone.
Her interest in science began with strong performance in mathematics and chemistry at school, and with a sense of pride in entering subjects “considered a more difficult area of study, especially for girls.” She describes her father as “very supportive” and credits him with encouraging both her and her sister to pursue science and engineering.
She identifies her main scientific achievements as her work in drug development and natural products, including synthesising more than 150 compounds during her PhD and publishing in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. She later worked on quorum sensing and biofilm inhibitors. After returning to Korea, she faced strong gender barriers in employment before eventually moving into policy work and joining women‑in‑STEM organisations such as KWSE and INWES.
Her involvement with INWES began in 2003, when she helped with translation at an international board meeting in Korea. Meeting women scientists from around the world showed her that “their stories were not much different from what we were experiencing in Korea,” and this sense of shared challenges motivated her long‑term commitment to the network.
Her message to young women entering science or engineering is simple: “please don’t give up.” She recognises that barriers remain but believes the satisfaction of doing work you love makes the difficult times worthwhile.