Legendary prodigy Baek Kang-hyun mapped out his own future after leaving high school.
On the April 9 episode of SBS’s "Finding Genius: Infinity" (hereafter “Finding Genius”), the show’s highest-IQ alum Baek Kang-hyun returned as a “legend” guest.
The broadcast caught up with Baek after he withdrew from high school.
“I was honestly lost back then. Once I left school, I had a lot on my mind,” he said.
A study-abroad offer came his way, and aiming to become an AI expert, Baek set his sights on the University of Oxford.
After 16 months of preparation, he earned straight A*s on his A-Levels, which is the highest level of achievement on the exam, drawing attention.
He also scored high on the MAT and went through three rounds of final interviews. Backed by strong praise from professors, Baek felt hopeful about an Oxford offer. However, the university ultimately did not admit him, leaving viewers disappointed.
Baek shared that while the result was unfortunate, he has no regrets about taking on the challenge.
Even “if I get soaked in the rain,” Baek said he wants to keep chasing the light. After the college setback, he began exploring different paths and sketching out his future.
Baek, who previously showed talent across many fields, is now composing music and developing a mobile game app as he prepares for what’s next.
The episode emphasized that the process behind the scenes matters more than the results we see, spotlighting the unseen efforts of gifted students.
Cha Tae-hyun cheered him on, saying, “Kang-hyun, do everything you want to do,” while MIMI added, “Just live happily and healthily,” warming hearts.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Hyo-jung)