On July 14, 2026, an exchange ceremony for an annex to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on research cooperation concerning the Hyper-Kamiokande Project was held at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) between the Institute for Rare Isotope Science (IRIS) of the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Korea, and the Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies (IPNS) of the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK).
The ceremony was attended by representatives from MEXT, KEK, IBS IRIS, and the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) of the Republic of Korea. Participants exchanged views on Korea’s participation in the Hyper-Kamiokande Project and on future areas of cooperation.
During the ceremony, MEXT emphasized that Hyper-Kamiokande is a major international project at the forefront of particle physics and the study of the Universe through neutrinos, and that international collaboration is essential to its success. KEK expressed its appreciation for the significant contributions made by Korean researchers dating back to the Super-Kamiokande project and noted that approximately 20 researchers from 7 Korean institutions are currently participating in the Hyper-Kamiokande Project.
IBS IRIS reported the establishment of a new center for international cooperation in high energy physics within the institute and expressed its expectation for further Japan–Korea research collaboration through the Hyper-Kamiokande Project.
The signing of this annex marks an important milestone in further strengthening international collaboration within the Hyper-Kamiokande Project and advancing research cooperation between Japan and Korea. The participating institutions will continue to deepen their collaboration as they work toward the start of experimental operations in fiscal year 2028.
