KAIST Genius Heo Seong-beom Reveals He Ranked 8th Among Thousands in Prestigious Science Academy Entrance

KAIST genius Heo Seong-beom showed off his extraordinary giftedness.

On the episode of SBS's My Little Old Boy that aired on July 5, Heo Kyung-hwan and Kim Jong-min met with KAIST genius Heo Seong-beom.

During the broadcast, Heo Kyung-hwan expressed a sense of closeness, noting that they share the same surname, Heo. Meanwhile, Kim Jong-min marveled at Heo Seong-beom, saying, "He is too handsome for someone who has only focused on studying."

Heo Seong-beom, who is currently pursuing a master's degree at KAIST graduate school after graduating from the university, drew attention by revealing that he has never paid tuition fees for falling grades, stating, "I attended school on scholarships the whole time."

Heo Kyung-hwan then mentioned that Heo Seong-beom also graduated from a science high school for the gifted. Heo Seong-beom explained, "I graduated from the Korea Science Academy of KAIST in Busan. It is a bit harder to get into than a regular science high school. There are a total of 8 gifted science academies in the country, and our school was the first one established," drawing further admiration.

Upon hearing this, Heo Kyung-hwan asked about the entrance criteria for the school. Heo Seong-beom replied, "There is a three-stage selection process. The first stage involves reviewing self-introduction letters, letters of recommendation, and academic records. The second stage consists of math and science exams. The math exam lasts for 4 hours but only has five questions. You pass if you solve just three and a half of them," surprising everyone.

He explained that the final third stage involves a 2-night, 3-day camp with in-depth interviews, adding, "They conduct interviews on character, leadership, math, and science, and we even have debates."

Notably, he drew attention by revealing that there were approximately 3,000 to 4,000 total applicants, with only about 200 making it to the interview stage, and that he entered the school ranked 8th among all applicants.

When Kim Jong-min asked for his secret, Heo Seong-beom calmly replied, "I have liked studying since I was young, and I think I am just naturally gifted," which brought laughter to the set.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.