Speaker
Description
The nature of dark matter remains one of the most compelling open problems connecting particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. While theoretical models—from WIMPs to sub-GeV and feebly interacting candidates—offer a rich space of possibilities, the direct detection program that tests them through dark matter scattering on terrestrial targets has advanced dramatically over the past decade. In this talk I present an experimentalist's review of the global direct detection effort. I summarize the current status of the leading liquid-noble (xenon and argon) detectors now approaching the neutrino fog, cryogenic bolometers extending sensitivity into the low-mass region, and the worldwide network of NaI(Tl)-based experiments addressing the long-standing DAMA/LIBRA annual-modulation claim. In this context I review recent results from the COSINE-100 experiment at the Yangyang and Yemilab underground laboratories. I conclude with the prospects for next-generation detectors and the role of Korean underground physics in the coming decade.