Kim Young-hoon, known for holding the world's highest recorded IQ of 276, said he will apply for asylum in the United States.
On the 30th, Kim posted a 1-minute-35-second video on his X (formerly Twitter) account. In the video, speaking in English, Kim said, "As a Christian and the holder of the world's highest IQ record, I am applying for asylum in the United States."
Kim said, "I can no longer live under a government that suppresses biblical truth and betrays the freedom our ancestors defended," adding, "Today, the Korean government punishes patriots and praises communists." Kim also said, "Truth has become a crime, and faith has become a target. I will not yield to evil," and, "I seek refuge in the United States, where faith is protected."
In another post, Kim said, "The Republic of Korea no longer exists. Only North Korea exists. That is because the Korean government has become a pro–North Korea government," and, "I am the first Korean to apply for asylum with President Trump's administration on the grounds of political and religious persecution."
Kim was officially announced as the person with the highest intelligence in the world after recording an IQ of 276 at the 2024 World Memory Championships. The Korea Record Institute certified him as the holder of the highest IQ record, and he is the only Korean member of the "Mega Society," which admits only the top 0.0001% of ultra–high-intelligence individuals worldwide.
He also received a perfect score (160 points) on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale in 2018 and a perfect score (204 points) on a high-intelligence test with a standard deviation of 24 in 2022. He is listed as "World No. 1 in IQ" in the World Genius Directory and the Giga Society, among others.
Kim first became known to the public in 2015 by appearing on SBS's "Finding Genius." Introduced at the time with an IQ of 175, he drew attention as the "genius boy of Korea" by perfectly memorizing 104 randomly shuffled poker cards in a little over 10 minutes. Kim is reportedly enrolled in a Master of Divinity program at a seminary accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States.