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Photo of Kim Ung-yong

Photo: Anonymous / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)

Kim Ung-yong

キム・ウンヨン / きむ・うんよん

Civil engineer from South Korea

March 8, 1962 (age 64) ・ Seoul, South Korea

  • civil engineer
  • nuclear physicist

My Take

Kim Ung-yong's story almost sounds like fiction. A reported IQ above 210, university at age four, a NASA invitation at seven, five languages by five; these are the kind of figures that turned him into a global symbol of the child prodigy. What I find most compelling, though, is what came after the headlines: he reportedly chose a quieter life as a civil engineer and professor in South Korea rather than chasing genius mythology. That choice resonates with me more than the records do. It's a reminder that a remarkable mind doesn't owe the world spectacle, and an ordinary, content life is its own success.

Overview

Kim Ung-Yong or Kim Woong-Yong (Korean: 김웅용; born March 8, 1962) is a South Korean civil engineer and professor. He is best known for being a child prodigy with the highest recorded IQ on record, having scored above 210 on the Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scale. He entered university at age 4 and at age 7, he received an invitation to work at NASA. By age 5, he spoke five languages.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

1. Profile

Name (English)
Kim Ung-yong
Name (Japanese)
キム・ウンヨン
Reading
きむ・うんよん
Born
March 8, 1962 (age 64)
Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
Pisces / Tiger
Origin
Seoul, South Korea
Blood type
Private
Height
Private
Agency
Private
Occupation
civil engineer / nuclear physicist

2. Background

Elementary school
Private
Junior high
Private
High school
Grant High School
University
University of Colorado

3. Relationships

Spouse
Private
Children
Private
Parents
Private
Siblings
Private

4. Personality

Motto

Private

More people from South Korea →

7. About this entry

Tags

  • civil engineer
  • nuclear physicist
Last updated
2026-06-02

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.