The Kyung Hee University System announced the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, renowned for publishing the Doomsday Clock, as the recipient of the 2nd Miwon Peace Prize. The independent nonprofit was recognized for pioneering peace advocacy through scientific rigor. The official award ceremony will take place on September 21 during the UN International Day of Peace.
The Kyung Hee University System officially announced that the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has been selected as the recipient of the 2nd Miwon Peace Prize. The announcement was officially made during a ceremony held at the Grand Peace Hall of Kyung Hee University in Seoul. Renowned globally for publishing the annual Doomsday Clock, the independent nonprofit organization was honored for pioneering new horizons of peace advocacy through scientific rigor.
The Miwon Peace Prize Selection Committee identified the Bulletin as an exemplary institution bridging scientific knowledge and planetary peace. Irina Bokova, former Director-General of UNESCO and Selection Committee Chair, stated, “Over the last eight decades, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, through the Doomsday Clock, has visualized how close humanity has brought itself to catastrophe and warned the world of the limitations of the modern civilization paradigm that threatens the existence of humanity. Through rigorous scientific analysis, the Bulletin has raised global awareness of existential risks, including nuclear weapons, climate change, and disruptive technologies, helping policymakers and the public pursue informed actions for peace and human security based on science.”
Established in 2024, the Miwon Peace Prize honors individuals or organizations that carry forward the peace philosophy and practice of Dr. Young Seek Choue, founder of the Kyung Hee University System. Laureates are selected through candidate evaluation by the Miwon Peace Prize Selection Committee and the deliberation and resolution of the Board of Trustees of the Kyung Hee University System. Awarded biennially, the prize includes a grant of USD 200,000 for world peace realization, funded by donations from the Miwon Peace Prize Foundation established by the Kyung Hee Alumni Association in North America. The official award ceremony is scheduled for September 21 during the 45th Peace BAR Festival, held in commemoration of the UN International Day of Peace.
Founded in 1945 by Manhattan Project scientists such as Eugene Rabinowitch and Hyman Goldsmith, the Bulletin was created to bring the ethical responsibilities of nuclear science into public discourse. Its flagship initiative, the Doomsday Clock launched in 1947, symbolizes humanity’s proximity to self-induced catastrophe. In January 2026, the Clock was set to 85 seconds to midnight, marking the most critical warning in its history due to compounding threats from nuclear escalation, climate crisis, and unchecked technology. Beyond issuing warnings, the Bulletin actively engages future generations through its Next Generation Initiative and Arts and Science Initiative, supported by a Board of Sponsors founded by Albert Einstein in 1948 that has featured over 40 Nobel laureates.
The selection announcement date holds special historical significance as it marks forty-five years since the founder of the Kyung Hee University System proposed the establishment of the UN International Day and Year of Peace to transform an atmosphere of war into one of peace. By bestowing this honor upon the Bulletin, the Kyung Hee University System aims to re-establish peace as an urgent civilizational task in an era where global crises continue to deepen.