Hi, I am Sungmin O working at Kangwon National University. My research focuses on the spatiotemporal variability of land surface processes, particularly soil moisture, and their role in weather and climate extremes. I study how land surface conditions influence the occurrence and propagation of hydrometeorological extremes such as droughts and heatwaves, and how these variations, in turn, affect ecosystems.

My recent work centers on developing deep learning–based global gridded soil moisture datasets and using a wide range of observational data to investigate the characteristics of flash droughts and their impacts on vegetation. I derive results from these data, compare the identified patterns with physics-based model simulations, and aim to bridge the gap between observational and modeling frameworks.

Before joining Kangwon National University, I was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Germany and obtained my Ph.D. from the University of Graz in Austria.

Outside of research, I enjoy cycling (I’ve completed a full cross-country ride across Korea 🚴), snorkeling during the summer, and spending time outdoors with my family.

🗞️ News

Nov 2025 – Selected as one of the Top 50 Excellent Research Achievements by the Ministry of Education, Republic of Korea
Sep 2024 – Joined Kangwon National University as an Assistant Professor
Jun 2023 – Awarded the NRF Creative and Challenging Research Base Support Grant as Principal Investigator
Sep 2021 – Joined Ewha Womans University as a Research Professor through the NRF Brain Pool Program

🎓 Join us!

(1) 일반 대학원 입학 (Non-funded)
강원대학교 일반대학원 2026학년도 전기 일반대학원 신입생(정원내 전형) 추가 모집 요강 안내 Link

(2) Funded positions
Recruitment for graduate students for this semester has been completed.

If you have any questions about the lab or are interested in graduate studies, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

I’m also happy to support students who are preparing their own funding applications — for example:

   - Global Korea Scholarship for international students or those studying abroad 

   - NRF Brain Pool Program for researchers who have worked more than 5 years outside Korea