Kim Ung-Yong
김웅용
Born (1962-03-08) March 8, 1962
Seoul, South Korea
Alma materChungbuk National University (BS, MS, PhD)
Cheongju University (MS)
Scientific career
FieldsCivil engineering
InstitutionsChungbuk National University
Shinhan University

Kim Ung-Yong (Hangul: 김웅용; born March 8, 1962)[1] is a South Korean civil engineer. During his youth, he was recognized as a child prodigy with the highest recorded IQ having scored above 210 on the Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scale.[2][3]

Kim Ung-Yong
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationGim Ung-Yong
McCune–ReischauerKim Ung-Yong

Biography

Early life

Kim Ung-Yong was born on March 8, 1962, in Seoul, South Korea.[1] His father, Kim Soo-Sun, was a physics professor at Konkuk University, and his mother, Yoo Myung-Hyun, was a teacher.[4] According to Yoo, by the time he was one year old, Kim had learned both the Korean alphabet and 1,000 Chinese characters by studying the Thousand Character Classic, a 6th-century Chinese poem.[5]

At three years old, he was able to solve calculus problems, and also published a 247-page best-selling book of his essays in English and German, as well as his calligraphy and illustrations.[4][1] By the age of five, Kim could speak Korean, English, French, German and Japanese.[5]

Fuji TV appearance

At the age of five, Kim appeared on Fuji Television in Japan and shocked the audience by solving differential equations. Later he appeared on Japanese television again, where he solved complicated differential and integral calculus problems; he later recalled the experience:[1]

I was really lonely. No one ever made friends with me. After work hours, I could exercise and enjoy my hobbies, but no one could accompany me. I came from another country and I was young, so there were no seats for children even though everyone was an adult.

Education


Kim solving Differential Equations at the age of 7

Kim allegedly went to study nuclear physics at the University of Colorado when he was eight years old, according to popular sources.[1] However, at the time of his college entrance exam's fitness section—where he gained much media attention—his father revealed to reporters that going to Japan to shoot the Fuji TV show was the "one and only time he went out of the country", and that the information of his Ph.D and master's degree progress in the States was "journalistic nonsense".[6] His statement that Kim did not leave at all is slightly detracted by the statement of Kim's mother, who stated that while he did "leave for a short moment to audit classes at the University of Colorado", he was returned immediately due to their facilities being "inadequate for the [Kim]'s genius", who was then homeschooled until his college entrance exam.[7]

Upon returning to South Korea, Kim was required to formally complete South Korean schooling in order to get a job. He later enrolled in Chungbuk National University where he studied civil engineering and earned a Ph.D.[1]

Adulthood

As of 2007, he served as adjunct faculty at Chungbuk National University. On March 14, 2014, he became an associate professor at Shinhan University and vice president of the North Kyeong-gi Development Research Center.

In 2010, Kim criticized the idea that he is a "failed genius". Reflecting upon the label, he stated, “I'm trying to tell people that I am happy the way I am. But why do people have to call my happiness a failure?”. Additionally, he added that "Some think people with a high IQ can be omnipotent, but that's not true. Look at me, I don't have musical talent, nor am I excelling in sports. [...] Society should not judge anyone with unilateral standards – everyone has different learning levels, hopes, talents, and dreams and we should respect that".[8][9]

See also

  • K. Visalini, an Indian prodigy who is purported to have a tested 225 IQ

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Song, Joo-hyun (2014-01-22). "IQ210 소년, 교수가 되다…김웅용 신한대학교 교양학부 교수" [Boy with 210 IQ Becomes Professor...Kim Ung-Yong, Professor of Liberal Arts at Shinhan University]. Joongboo Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-01-10.
  2. ↑ Comer, Ronald; Gould, Elizabeth (2012-02-07). Psychology Around Us. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-01207-9.
  3. ↑ Yoon, Min-sik (2014-01-14). "Former child genius to become full-time university professor". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
  4. 1 2 "The Evening Sun 07 Sep 1967, page Page 38". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  5. 1 2 Yoon, Sa-rang (2016-08-04). "김웅용 교수 누구? '천재소년' 8세때 NASA 스카우트" [Who is Professor Kim Ung-yong? 'Genius boy' recruited by NASA at age 8]. Korea Sports Economy (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-01-10.
  6. ↑ "The Appearance of Child Prodigy Kim Ung Yong as Entrance Examinee". Kyong Yang News. 1979-09-06. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  7. ↑ "Ordinary Child Prodigy Ung-Yong appears as Examinee for College Physical Entrance Exam". Dong-a Ilbo. 1979-06-09. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  8. ↑ Hussaini, Ambreen Shehzad (September 28, 2013). "Intelligence quotient: The world's smartest people". Dawn. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  9. ↑ Jurie, Hwang (October 10, 2010). "Life in the high IQ lane". The Star. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
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