Seoul National University professor Hwang Woo-seok and Microsoft chairman Bill Gates are found to be the public figures most respected by South Korean scientists and engineers. That’s according to a survey of 530 science & engineering professors and corporate researchers in South Korea.

Some 34 percent of respondents chose Prof. Hwang, the internationally renowned personality in stem cell research, as the Korean scientist they admire most.

Globally, Bill Gates was found to be most popular, selected by 22 percent of respondents. After Gates came Albert Einstein with 17 percent, Stephen Hawking and Thomas Edison with seven percent apiece, and Prof. Hwang with four percent of the vote.

The survey was jointly conducted by Gallup Korea and the Leadership Center at Pohang University of Science and Technolgoy.