Nobel Chemistry Prize goes to France's Henri Kagan and Japan's Soai Kenzo
In short
Sweden's Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on Oct 7 that the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded jointly to Henri Kagan of France and Soai Kenzo of Japan for discovering non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. The committee said the work answered a century-old question of why the molecules of living things take only one of two mirror-image forms. The prize is 12 million Swedish kronor, about 1.6 billion won, and Japan has now produced a Nobel chemistry laureate two years in a row.
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Sweden's Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on Oct 7 that the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Henri Kagan of France and Soai Kenzo of Japan for discovering non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis, Korean outlets reported. [ 5 , 11 , 12 , 15 , 16 ]
The Nobel committee said the two researchers provided an answer to a chemical mystery of more than 100 years: how homochirality — the tendency of the molecules that make up living things to take only one of two mirror-image forms — can appear spontaneously. Committee chair Heiner Linke said the chemical reactions they developed are remarkable and are of decisive importance to chemists designing reactions for drug manufacturing. [ 14 , 15 , 16 ]
According to the coverage, Kagan showed in 1986 that a specific mirror-image form could be synthesised artificially at a much higher ratio, demonstrating a non-linear effect that yields more than 90 percent of one form. Soai went further in 1995 by designing a chemical reaction that concentrates one form, known as an autocatalytic reaction, and in 2003 succeeded in producing large amounts of one of the two mirror-image molecules, a feat previously possible only in living things. A reaction named after him, the Soai reaction, is cited as representative of asymmetric autocatalysis research. [ 10 , 15 , 16 ]
Kyungyang Shinmun quoted Ryu Do-hyun, a chemistry professor at Sungkyunkwan University, who cited the drug thalidomide: one form eased morning sickness in pregnant women in the 1950s while the opposite form caused birth defects. Because unwanted forms can now be suppressed, the committee said, painkillers and anti-cancer drugs are safer than before, and drug development can be faster and cheaper. [ 10 ]
Japanese media, cited by Kyunghyang Shinmun, reported that Japan has now produced Nobel laureates three years in a row, while the chemistry prize went to a Japanese researcher for a second consecutive year and Japan's total Nobel laureates reached 32. Soai, 76, is affiliated with Tokyo University of Science; Chosun Ilbo reported he received a bouquet at a press conference at his university. [ 2 , 10 , 19 , 21 ]
Soai said he heard the news while shopping nearby and called it the most exciting day of his life, adding that he was glad to share the prize with Kagan, whom he respects, and that his field has many researchers. He also said there are still interesting points in his research. [ 18 , 22 , 23 ]
The prize is 12 million Swedish kronor, about 1.6 billion won, shared by the two laureates, with the ceremony on Dec 10. The literature, peace and economics prizes were due to be announced on Oct 8, Oct 9 and Oct 12. Outlets differed on Kagan's age, given as 95 by some and 96 by others, and described his institution variously as Paris-Sud University, Paris-11 University and a university in Orsay. [ 5 , 10 , 11 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]
Why it matters
The committee and Korean outlets describe the research as groundwork for making drugs with fewer side effects and for explaining a long-standing puzzle about the origin of biological asymmetry, so the award is a marker of how far asymmetric synthesis has travelled from the lab. For Korean readers it also highlights Japan's run of Nobel laureates and the prize calendar that continues this week with literature, peace and economics awards.
Key facts
- The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Henri Kagan of France and Soai Kenzo of Japan. [ 5 , 11 , 12 , 15 , 16 ]
- The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences cited the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. [ 5 , 11 , 12 , 15 , 16 ]
- The Nobel committee said the two researchers explained how homochirality — molecules of living things taking only one of two mirror-image forms — can appear spontaneously. [ 14 , 15 , 16 ]
- The prize money is 12 million Swedish kronor, about 1.6 billion won, shared by the two laureates. [ 5 , 10 , 12 , 16 ]
- Japan has produced a Nobel chemistry laureate for a second consecutive year, and the country's 32nd Nobel laureate in total. [ 2 , 10 , 16 ]
- Soai Kenzo is 76 and is affiliated with Tokyo University of Science; Henri Kagan is professor emeritus affiliated with Paris-Sud University. [ 10 , 11 , 13 , 15 , 16 ]
- The award ceremony is scheduled for Dec 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. [ 5 ]
- Literature, peace and economics prizes were due to be announced on Oct 8, Oct 9 and Oct 12 respectively. [ 10 , 11 , 15 , 16 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. [ 5 , 11 , 12 , 15 , 16 ]
- The prize was awarded jointly to France's Henri Kagan and Japan's Soai Kenzo. [ 5 , 6 , 12 , 15 , 16 ]
- The prize money is 12 million Swedish kronor, about 1.6 billion won. [ 5 , 10 , 12 , 16 ]
- Japan has produced a Nobel chemistry laureate for a second consecutive year. [ 2 , 10 , 16 ]
- The Nobel committee said the laureates answered a more than 100-year-old chemical mystery about how homochirality can arise spontaneously. [ 14 , 15 , 16 ]
Still unclear
- Henri Kagan's age is given as 95 by some outlets and 96 by others. Korean outlets differ on his age within the same day's coverage.
- Kagan's affiliation is described variously as Paris-Sud University, Paris-11 University and a university in Orsay. Outlets name the institution differently, and the documents do not reconcile the versions.
- It is not consistent whether the laureates are described as emeritus or honorary professors or simply as professors. Wording differs between outlets, and the documents give no confirmation.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Kukmin Ilbo carries a first bulletin naming Henri Kagan and Soai Kenzo as Nobel chemistry laureates. [ 1 ]
- Newsis, Yonhap and Seoul Economic Daily report the award, with Seoul Economic Daily quoting the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on the citation and the 12 million kronor prize. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Newsis publishes a comprehensive report including committee statements that the laureates solved a century-old chemistry mystery. [ 15 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports Soai saying he heard the news while grocery shopping nearby and called it the most exciting day of his life. [ 18 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun reports, citing NHK, that Japan has now produced Nobel laureates three years in a row. [ 19 ]
- Yonhap reports Soai saying his research still holds interesting points. [ 23 ]
- Chosun Ilbo publishes an explainer on the molecules' two mirror-image forms and the century-old puzzle. [ 24 ]