Top-Scoring Vietnamese Student Chooses KAIST: "South Korea Is Safe and Offers Many Opportunities"

[Instead of studying in the U.S., I chose to study in South Korea because of its strong industry-academia cooperation, high level of safety, and familiar culture and food.]

A gifted high school student who achieved the top score in Vietnam's national university entrance exam and a perfect score on the SAT has drawn attention for her decision to study at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

According to local media outlets such as VNExpress on July 10, Hoang Huong Giang (18), a 12th-grade student at the High School for Gifted Students under the Hanoi National University of Education, recently scored 29.75 out of 30 in the science and engineering track (Math, Physics, English) of the 2026 Vietnamese high school graduation and university entrance exam, tying for the top spot in the country.

In addition to this, she achieved a perfect score of 1,600 on the SAT and a high score of 8.0 out of 9.0 on the IELTS, an international English proficiency test.

Despite having the credentials to enter prestigious universities in the United States, Giang decided to enroll in the Department of Computer Science at KAIST and is preparing to register for the fall semester next month.

Regarding her choice to study in South Korea, Giang said, "I considered studying in Western countries, but I thought South Korea would offer more opportunities to apply knowledge to real life because of the close ties between universities and large corporations."

She specifically explained, "South Korea has a very low crime rate, making it safer than other countries, and it has a culture and food that are familiar to Vietnamese people. Many large Korean companies have production plants in Vietnam, so there will be many opportunities for cooperation and development in the future."

As for why she chose KAIST, she mentioned that the quiet atmosphere of Daejeon suits her INTP personality better than the bustling environment of Seoul, which is full of shopping and concert venues. She added, "The fact that KAIST conducts 100% of its classes in English was also a factor."

Giang, who enjoys math and physics and learned programming in high school, expressed her ambition to become a top expert in artificial intelligence (AI) by pursuing graduate studies and making groundbreaking inventions that contribute to society.

She also expressed her excitement about her upcoming life in South Korea, saying, "I want to interact with excellent professors and fellow students, join a research lab, and learn more in a diverse environment."

Regarding her achievement of topping the entrance exam in Vietnam, where competition is as fierce as in South Korea, she said, "It is most important to study by understanding the essence. I want to prove things myself before using them in my solutions, rather than blindly memorizing tricks, formulas, or answers."

Giang added, "I have watched the movies 'Parasite' and 'Train to Busan.' I listen to songs by TWICE and T-ara and also read Korean webtoons. My favorite song is 'What is Love?' by TWICE."

(Photo: Provided by Hoang Huong Giang, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.