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Self-declared 'world's smartest man' applies for U.S. asylum from 'pro-North Korean' government

Published: 04 Nov. 2025, 16:56

Kim Young-hoon announces his asylum application to the United States on X, formerly Twitter, on Oct. 30. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A Korean man who claims to have the world’s highest IQ has applied for political asylum in the United States, saying he can no longer live under what he called a “a pro North Korea leftist government that suppresses biblical truth.”

Kim Young-hoon, 36, announced his asylum request last Thursday on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing in English, “The World’s Highest IQ record-holder seeks asylum in the United States to escape South Korea’s pro-North Korea and anti-Christian government.”

In a one-minute-and-35-second video accompanying the post, Kim said, “I can no longer remain in South Korea, a nation now ruled by a pro North Korea leftist government that suppresses biblical truth, silences Christian voices and betrays the very freedom our ancestors fought to protect.”

Today, the Korean government punishes patriots, glorifies communists amongst those who speak in the name of Christ, Truth has become a crime, and faith has become a target,” Kim added. “But I will not bow to the evil. I choose freedom over fear and Christ over compromise. That’s why I seek refuge in America, a nation founded on God’s word, where faith is not persecuted, but protected.”

Kim has also posted on Friday that “there is NO South Korea any more” because “South Korean government has become pro-North Korea,” adding that is “why I am the 1st South Korean to apply for asylum under President Trump due to political and religious persecution.

Kim is reportedly enrolled in a Master of Divinity program at a seminary accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) in the United States.

The religious persecution he cited appears to refer to the recent arrest of Pastor Son Hyun-bo of the Saegero Church in Busan. Son was indicted in May on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act after expressing support for a specific presidential candidate during a worship service and prayer rally ahead of the election.

Kim has been introduced in Korean and local reports as having the “world’s highest IQ.” When he appeared on SBS television program in 2015, his IQ was reported as 175. He later claimed to have been recognized as the record-holder by the Korea Record Institute and the World Mind Sports Council (WMSC).

The WMSC announced on its website last year that Kim “has the world’s highest IQ 276 in history recognized by the World Mind Sports Council and World Memory Championships, founded by Tony Buzan, the inventor of Mind Maps.”

According to the Korea Record Institute, Kim achieved a perfect score of 160 on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale in 2018 and again a perfect score, this time 204, on a high-range version of the same test in 2022.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]