| 2001.09.01 |
The Institute was merged with the College of Pharmacy according to the reformation of all research institutes in the University. |
| 2001.01.18 |
In the year of 2000, "The Act on Research and Development of New Drugs Originated from Natural Products
" and "The Regulation" were enacted and a ten year national strategic program has been established to
secure steady support for the research in the field of natural product science and technology. In accordance
with the program, the institute was designated as the "National Center for Research and Development of
New Drugs Originated from Natural Products" form the Ministry of Health and Welfare. |
| 1998.10.01 |
Agreement was made with the Research Institute for Wakan-Yaku, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical
University, Toyama, Japan to facilitate the development of joint scientific program and research activities. |
| 1998.03.01 |
 Graduate Studies in Natural Products Science for MS. and Ph.D.degrees are granted. |
| 1998.02.21 |
 Completion of the Basic Technology ans Research Building. |
| 1992.09.17 |
 Appointed as the "Korea-China Collaboration Center for Traditional Oriental Medicines Research". |
| 1992.08 |
Designated by the Ministry of Science and Technology as the Principal Research Institute for "Development of New Korean Drugs", that is one of the project of "HAN(G7)". |
| 1992.04.03 |
Expansion of the organization with Department of Natural Products Chemistry, Department of Biological Activity Research, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Industrial Technology Cooperation, Economic Plant Research Station, Instrumental Analysis Center, Radioisotope Laboratory, Experimental Animal Room, Natural Products Information Services and Office of Administration. |
| 1992.03.02 |
 Renamed as the Natural Products Research Institute. |
| 1980~1989 |
 More isolation and structure elucidation of new compounds from natural products have been accumulated and the basis of new drug R&D derived from natural products had been solidified. Recognizing the significance of traditional medicine, WHO designated the Institute as a "WHO Collaborating Center for Traditional Medicine". However, attempts to materialize the research outcomes into the development of new drugs suffered setbacks because of the Patent Law. The time became ripe for new drugs developments, albeit overdue, thanks to unremitting research and Agriculture began to be actively involved in natural products research to natural dyes and natural agricultural chemicals as well as natural drugs, thereby providing the moment for the Institute to expand and advance to meet the next half-century in great anticipation. |
| 1970~1979 |
 During this period, we witnessed the blossom of natural products research. Growing research capabilities led to the international cooperation and collaboration. With the supports from World Health Organization this Institute, together with other institutes in U.S.A., Hong Kong and Sri Lanka, participated in the project entitled "Multicenter Collaborative Approach for the Isolation of Fertility Regulating Compounds from Plants". The Institute was also designated as a headquarter of "Regional Network for the Chemistry of Natural Products in Southeast Asia" by UNESCO and assigned to rain natural products scientists from Southeast Asian countries. |
| 1960~1969 |
 Full-scale rebuilding of the Institute has begun. Medicine Plant Garden at Sungsu-Dong in the eastern part of Seoul city was closed, a new Institute building was constructed, and the Medicinal Plant Garden was opened at Shihung-Si. The equipment of the upto-date NMR spectrometer enabled us to concentrate upon the research on natural products chemistry, and to determine the chemical structures of components isolated from medicinal plants for the first time since the liberation. Theae were Acertannin and Polygallitol. |
| 1950~1959 |
The Institute, too, suffered the ravages of the Korean Conflict. Faculty members were scattered and facilities were lost. It was the time when survival came first to research.
|
| 1945~1949 |
 During the period of the liberation and the foundation of the Republic of Korea, Seoul National University was founded with the amalgamation with Kyungsung Imperial University. The Institute marked the first research institute of SNU. One of the difficult tasks was to move the Institute from Kaesung City to the Yungun Medical Campus in Seoul City in consequence of the division fo the country. Strong will to study natural products, however, made possible to build our own elemental analyzer for the first time in Korea. The elemental analyzer is still preserved in the Institute. |
| 1939~1945 |
 On Dec. 27, 1939, NPRI was founded as an affiliate of Kyungsung Imperial University in Kaesung that had been the capital of Korea Dynasty. "Chinesische Drogen" is the integrated result of the studies done till the liberation in 1945 on Chinese medicinal resources in Manchuria and China as well as in the Korean peninsula. About 15,000 indigenous plant specimens Collection". They serve as standards for Chinese medicines in Korea, China and Japan where Chinese medicines are commonly used. For the study of subtropical plant resources, a medicinal plant garden was established in Jeju Island. |
