1) History
The history of KSRM represents that of rock mechanics in Korea. KSRM was founded in August, 1981 as a nonprofit organization to promote the development of the rock engineering technology through exchanging technical information and academic research products among the members of the rock engineering profession in Korea. The needs of international cooperation also gave momentum to the establishment of KSRM as a national group of International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (ISRM).
Both the mountainous geographical feature of Korean territory and the recent demand for expanding the social infrastructure to keep up with the sustainable economic growth have provided the good opportunity for rock engineers. Since early 1970s, Korea has launched many large-scale rock engineering projects such as the construction of underground hydropower plants, the hydrocarbon storage caverns, the high speed railway tunnels, and subway tunnels. The members of KSRM have played pivotal roles for the successful implementation of these projects by giving their expertise in the course of overcoming many difficulties in geological and rock mechanics issues.
Now, KSRM has approximately 1,200 individual and 32 corporate members listed. In order to exchange new ideas among members and promote the propagation of new technologies, KSRM has been publishing the bimonthly journal, "Tunnel and Underground Space", since 1991. The members of KSRM actively participate in international meetings in cooperation with the international society. KSRM has also organized several international symposia.
The middle symbolizes the tunnel shape, the ellipse symbolizes the earth and the stress ellipsoid, and the center curve represents the Korean symbol, Taegeuk and the discontinuity. Overall, it symbolizes the meaning of underground space excavated inside the earth and Korea. This work was selected in 1995 by the Editorial Committee of the Society and the Council of the Association.
2) International Activities
○ The 4th ISRM Young Scholars Rock Mechanics Symposium (YSRM 2017) and 5th International Conference on New Development in Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (NDRMGE 2017) were held on 10-13 May in Jeju Island, Korea. A total of 254 participants from seventeen countries, of which the 93 participants were from overseas, enjoyed the symposium including the five invited lectures.
○ Professor Seokwon Jeon at Seoul National University currently serves as a Vice-President of ISRM for the office term 2015-2019.
○ In 2013, Chung-In Lee, an Emeritus Professor at Seoul National University was selected as an ISRM Fellow. It is conferred on individuals, affiliated with the ISRM, who have achieved outstanding accomplishment in the field of rock mechanics and/or rock engineering and who have contributed to the professional community through the ISRM. The present ceremony of ISRM Fellows was conferred in EUROCK2013 in Wroclaw, Poland.
○ In 2012, the 7th Asian Rock Mechanics Symposium (ARMS7) was held on 15-19 Oct in COEX, Seoul, Korea, with the Korean Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (President: Dr. Kong-Chang Han) as an organizer. A total of 314 participants from 32 countries, of which 167 were from overseas, enjoyed eight invited lectures, one special workshop, two short courses, and two technical tours. The ARMS7 was preceded by ‘Students’ Night’ in order to encourage active participation by young members. 169 papers including 41 posters were presented in 21 sessions including two special sessions on ‘Reservoir Geomechanics’ and ‘Structural Geology’.
○ In 2011, Dr. Dohyun Park (Supervisor: Prof. Seokwon Jeon) received the 2011 ISRM Rocha Medal in the 12th ISRM Congress in Beijing. The prize has been annually awarded since 1982 for an outstanding doctoral thesis. The title of his thesis was “Reduction of blast-induced vibration in tunnelling using barrier holes and air-deck”.
○ In November 2003, KSRM co-organized the International Symposium on the Fusion Technology of Geosystem Engineering, Rock Engineering and Geophysical Exploration in cooperation with the Korean Society for Geosystem Engineering (KSGE) and Korean Society of Exploration Geophysicists (KSEG).
○ Professor Chung-In Lee at Seoul National University served as a Vice-President of ISRM for the office term 1999-2003.
○ In September 2001, KSRM organized the International Workshop "Rock Engineering for Underground Waste Isolation".
○ In October 1997, KSRM organized the 1st Asian Rock Mechanics Symposium (ARMS) as an ISRM Regional Symposium. The main theme of the symposium was "Environmental and Safety Concerns in Underground Construction". There were 160 presentations and 401 participants from 27 countries.
○ In 1982, KSRM became a National Group of ISRM.