Chunhong Hwang, CEO of Dow Jones Genetic Research Institute

"We will develop our unique genetic detection
technology to contribute to society"

People's genes have their own differences and individuality. These can be utilized in various fields of modern society.

In criminal investigations, blood, saliva, and hair left at a crime scene can be used to identify or trace a criminal,

orto locate the families of war dead. In addition, once genes are registered, they can be used to reunite a child whohas

been separated from his or her parents. This is collectively known as 'genetic forensic technology'. In particular,

public institutions are using it a lot, and there is a lot of demand from the Ministry of National Defense,

the Ministry of Unification, and the National Police Agency. As the first female CEO of a company in the genetic detection field in Korea,

Chunhong Hwang has made continuous technological innovations in genetic detection technology for nearly 30 years and has grown into

a representative company of genetic testing. In particular, she developed and localized global standard genetic detection reagents for the first time in Korea, and contributed to

strengthening national competitiveness through joint research and technology transfer with overseas institutions

for international commercialization of developed products. She also contributed to the development of science and

technology manpower through joint research and educational support with universities and industry for knowledge-based

industrialization through the possession of a number of industrial property rights.

Mrs. Hwang is the winner of the 8th DaePyeong Namjong-type Invention Culture Award and the 1st winner of the Invention

Culture King Award. We talk to Mrs. Hwang about his exciting work on human genes

Changing the paradigm for genetic testing reagents Chunghong Hwang, 54, earned her master's degree in microbiology at

Ulsan National University and worked at Sookmyung Women's University. she then worked at a nuclear hospital,

where she researched cancer genes, before moving to a private company,where she has worked since 1989, and finally founded her own

company in 2002. She furthered

her education by earning a PhD from Korea University. But there's something very

unusual about her academic and entrepreneurial journey. While most people start a

business for personal success or financial wealth, Hwang's motivation was different: "I

wanted to help the society I belong to rather than just make a good living for myself.

It is no exaggeration to say that her efforts have created a new gold standard in the

field of genetic forensics in Korea. She succeeded in localizing the DowID Coreplex20

kit, a high-value genetic forensic analysis reagent. This is not just the launch of a new

reagent. So far, the Ministry of National Defense, the National Institute of Scientific

Investigation, and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Genetic Analysis have been

building a database of criminals, and have also been working to build a database of

the families of the fallen soldiers of the Korean War, as well as a database of genetic

testing of separated families for the Ministry of Unification." This award is a great

reward and source of pride for our research efforts over the past 30 years. I would like

to thank the organizers once again for the award and say that I am truly grateful for

the recognition of our company's research. I'm sure I had a lot of hardships starting

a company by myself and building a company with 34 employees. There were

many times along the way when I wanted to give up because it was too hard, but I

convinced myself that I had come this far, and when it was too hard, I would start

from scratch again and pull myself together."

Tough but rewarding genetic testing for separated families

The technology and performance of the genetic forensic analysis reagent developed

by Mrs. Hwang can only be described as 'amazing'. The reagent, which was

finally developed in 2021, not only secured domestic industrial property rights, but can

simultaneously analyze 24 genes in a single assay, including 24 global standard genetic

markers. In addition, the price is low, and the analysis time is shortened to 1 hour and

30 minutes, providing excellent speed and accuracy. As a result, it has contributed to

strengthening national competitiveness with innovative product development technology

that is highly competitive not only in Korea

but also overseas. Especially in the field of discrete family genetic testing, it has a unique

position that is impossible to compare with other companies.

From 2014 to 2016 and 2018 to 2023, her

company were selected as the genetic testing and genetic information storage provider for

the Ministry of Unification and conducted sample collection and genetic testing for a

total of 25,504 separated families for nine years. They successfully completed 83,661

government-commissioned genetic tests,

the largest number in Korea, and established a specialized system for genetic testing and

storage so that aging separated families can identify their families even after death.

As a result, they contributed significantly to the identification of separated families

in preparation for future reunification. In addition, which also helped to identify the

families of the Korean War dead. But the process has been grueling.

"I think the separated family project was the hardest thing," she says, "because in the

nine years I was doing it, I traveled all over the country to find separated families, and I

even had accidents that killed my employees,and most of them would quit the company

after doing it, and it was the hardest thing to convince myself. But when I think about

why I started the company and why I'm still in business today, I just can't stop, and I think

that process of convincing my employees and convincing myself led me to where I am today.

In the future, if there is a reunification, or even before that, if the conditions are right,

I would like to do genetic testing even for families in North Korea.“

Mrs. Hwang also created the world's first product called 'Dr. Bebe' through this

technology. It is a BT and IT convergence product that stores the genetic information

of newborns and other children in the form of a seal, so that in the event of a missing

child, the stored genetic information can be recognized by a mobile phone and the child's

vaccination information and the child can be found quickly. CEO Chunhong Hwang's

experience in childbirth is embedded in this. When she gave birth at the maternity

hospital, she was not allowed to be with her child and could only see him after three

days. When she met her child, she had doubts, "Is this really my child?" She said. It's

a very real thing that happens in real life. Based on this, Hwang created ‘Dr. Bebe’ to

collect genes as soon as a child is born so that parents can keep them for life. He also

developed the world's first genetic analysis that can predict hair loss, the DOW Hair-

Loss QuickFinder Kit, and launched functional shampoo and hair loss management

dielselasome products that promote healthy hair growth and help relieve hair loss

symptoms with scientific hair loss management genetic testing services. It is Korea's

most advanced genetic analysis technology, which has received KOLAS international

certification and a grade A from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and plans to

launch it in the global market once it receives approval from the Malaysian Food and

Drug Administration.

Toward a new paradigm of disease prediction

Through these genetic detection technologies, various systems have been established.

For example, they developed the first kit for maternal lineage analysis and motility

prediction of horses in Korea it was certified as a NET new technology and secured

domestic intellectual property rights. This technology is expected to help build a

scientific production system for the production of excellent stallions in the future.

Chunghong Hwang also played a major role in the last pandemic, expanding the

technologies she had developed and successfully developing three COVID-19

diagnostic kits in 2020, obtaining an in vitro diagnostic medical device export

license and a medical device manufacturing license from the Ministry of Food and

Drug Safety. At the same time, she obtained ISO13485:2016 medical device quality

management system certification and European Union CE certification, and received

brand K certification from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, contributing to

strengthening competitiveness in the bio-industry by developing not only genetic

detection but also disease diagnosis products.

As a result of these achievements, she has received numerous awards since 2005.

Just to name a few, she received the Prime Minister's Award at the 57th Invention

Day (2022), the Gold Medal at the World Women Inventors EXPO and the Special

Award from the Minister of Women and Family Affairs (2022), the Minister of Trade,

Industry and Energy Award at the 12th Women in Engineering (2021), the Seoul

Local Procurement Agency Award (2020), the Gold Medal at the World Women's

Invention Competition (2019), and the Grand Prix Grand Prize at the World Women's

Invention Competition (2018).

Now, Hwang's dream is moving toward a better future. It is to "prepare for a new

era of disease prediction. This is because she plans to develop personalized products

for direct-to-consumer(DTC) genetic testing services for disease prediction based on

the technology she has developed so far, as well as in vitro diagnostic medical devices

for disease diagnosis and molecular diagnostic kits, and create new kits using mutual

advantages. This is expected to be another big leap forward.

"The main trend in medicine around the world is now disease prediction. Especially

since our company has a technology centered on genes, it is as if we have the original

technology for this, and I am sure that if we combine it with various modern medical

technologies, we will be able to take the lead in predicting individual diseases.

I believe that the dream I had when I started the company to contribute to society is slowly

being realized,but I will not stop here and will continue to move forward until that dream is realized."

Mrs. Hwang describes her path as "difficult but rewarding, and that's why I have to do it.”

It's a work philosophy that reflects her love for her work and her compassion for others. We

look forward to seeing her path continue to shine.