Rejected by Oxford, Korean prodigy with 204 IQ turns setback into self-made game

Baek Kang-hyun / Captured from SBS

Korean prodigy Baek Kang-hyun, once dubbed one of the world’s brightest young minds, is drawing renewed attention after revealing he developed his own game following a rejection from the University of Oxford.

On Tuesday, Baek shared via his social media and YouTube channel that he had released his first self-developed strategy puzzle role-playing game, marking a new chapter after what he described as a difficult period.

“After the Oxford admissions results were announced in January, I went through a lot of pain,” he said. “But enduring that pain, I pushed myself day and night over the past few months to go beyond my limits, and this is the result.”

He described the game as one that challenges users’ logic, memory and psychological skills, adding, “It’s a solo-developed project, but it contains a scale that does not fall behind major game companies. It’s my precious first work built purely on my own determination.”

Baek also addressed online criticism with a firm stance. “Some people leave baseless, malicious comments, but they mean nothing to me,” he said. “All such comments are automatically filtered out, so they never reach me. You’re only wasting your valuable time.” He added, “Starting today, I will quietly continue to challenge myself toward new dreams.”

Baek Kang-hyun / Captured from Baek's YouTube channel

Born in 2012, Baek gained national fame at just 9 years old when he entered middle school early and later enrolled at Seoul Science High School, one of Korea’s most prestigious institutions for gifted students.

He first drew public attention when he was 41 months old, when he appeared on SBS “Finding Genius,” where he recorded an IQ of 204 under Mensa standards — placing him among the top 0.0001 percent globally.

Baek’s academic journey, however, has been closely followed and at times controversial. In March 2023, he entered Seoul Science High School but announced his withdrawal just five months later through his YouTube channel. He later attempted to gain admission to Oxford but was unsuccessful.

Baek Kang-hyun / Captured from Baek's YouTube channel

He is set to share more about his recent experiences on SBS “Finding Genius Infinity,” scheduled to air Thursday.

This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.