First-time selection of this year's Professional Engineers and Master Craftsmen, including a former day laborer welder
Outstanding cases of Master Craftsmen and Professional Engineers: a triple crown and safety innovation made by field experience Check out the growth stories and achievements of skilled technicians, and get hints for passing and taking on new challenges
An excellent case of a skilled technician was introduced: a day labor welder who moved around more than 20 sites over 16 years rose to the rank of “triple crown master craftsman.”
On the 11th, the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Human Resources Development Service of Korea held the awards ceremony for the 2026 National Qualification Acquisition Excellence Case Contest at COEX Magok in Seoul, and selected, for the first time this year, the “Engineer of the Year” and the “Master Craftsman of the Year” respectively. The six winners received the Minister of Employment and Labor Award.
The Master Craftsmen of the Year were selected as Yoon Sangjin, Kim Hyeon, and Kim Gwangho. Yoon Sangjin started welding at a shipyard subcontractor and moved from site to site before sequentially obtaining the Master Craftsman certifications in welding, energy management, and piping. Kim Hyeon participated in facility management at the National Sorokdo Hospital, and Kim Gwangho took part in quality control for the manufacturing of nuclear power plant steam generators.
The Engineers of the Year were selected as Yoon Taewoong, Ahn Haeseong, and Yoon Hyeonwoo. After a suffocation accident at a steel mill, Yoon Taewoong worked on improving the site with a priority on worker safety and convenience, and Yoon Hyeonwoo was in charge of safety operations at a steel mill explosion accident and flood recovery site. Based on his direct experience operating a smart farm, Ahn Haeseong is carrying out design and supervision work related to facility horticulture technology.