▲ Kim Young Hoon, Courtesy of KimKim Young-hoon from South Korea has been officially recognized as the individual with the highest IQ ever recorded, scoring an unprecedented 276 at the World Memory Championships. This announcement was made by the World Mind Sports Council on Thursday.

According to the event organizer, “The World Mind Sports Council hereby recognizes Young-hoon Kim from South Korea as the person with the highest IQ in the world and congratulates him.” Prior to Kim’s achievement, the title was held by Chinese-Australian professor Terence Tao, who had an IQ of 230.

Kim, a 35-year-old graduate of Yonsei University in Seoul, is now the only Korean member of both the Mega Society and the Giga Society, exclusive organizations for individuals with extraordinarily high IQs.

The World Memory Championships is an international competition where highly intelligent individuals participate in a tournament-style format. Throughout the event, participants' IQs are comprehensively evaluated.

Kim is also the founder of the United Sigma Intelligence Association, a non-profit organization that includes over 100 exceptionally intelligent individuals, such as professors from prestigious universities like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.

The World Mind Sports Council, established by mind mapping pioneer Tony Buzan, oversees world-class brain championships. Besides the World Memory Championships, the council also organizes the World Speed Reading Championships and the World Mind Mapping Championships.

Sayart / Jason Yim, yimjongho1969@gmail.com