SBS ‘The Gifted Discovery Team Infinity’
Baek Kang-hyun, the prodigy with the highest IQ in the history of ‘The Gifted Discovery Team’, shares welcome updates and unveils the ‘full story’ of his application to the University of Oxford in the UK.
In episode 2 of SBS ‘The Gifted Discovery Team Infinity’, airing at 9 p.m. on Thursday the 9th, Baek Kang-hyun, who once captivated the entire nation as the ‘41-month-old math prodigy’, appears, and the studio erupts with enthusiastic cheers from the three MCs Cha Tae-hyun, Mimi, and Mimiminu.
That day, the three MCs become visibly excited when childhood footage of Baek Kang-hyun, first introduced through ‘The Gifted Discovery Team’, is shown. At the time, at 41 months old, he understood the concept of the unknown ‘X’ and created equations, shocking viewers, and he especially drew attention as the holder of ‘IQ 164’, the highest IQ in the show’s history. Seeing this, Mimi exclaims, “A genius boy everyone in the country knows!” and gives a thumbs-up, while Mimiminu remarks with fresh admiration, “He’s at an age where he could still appear as a ‘new prodigy’!”
Soon after, through a VCR segment, Baek recounts the past ten years, during which he worked more fiercely than anyone, drawing viewers’ focus. He reveals how he entered a science high school at the exceptionally early age of 10 but, unavoidably, had to drop out, and why he then decided to take on the University of Oxford admissions process. Baek says, “I’m very interested in computer science and want to become an expert in AI,” adding, “After seeing my father injure his back during military service, I thought it would be good if AI wearable technology could be further advanced. That’s why I decided to apply to Oxford’s Department of Computer Science.”
However, it is disclosed that despite earning the top grade, A*, in all four International A-level subjects (Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry), and also achieving a good score on the MAT (Mathematics Admissions Test), he was not accepted. Hearing this, Cha Tae-hyun says, “Kang-hyun, let’s go to Harvard!” and Mimi likewise encourages him, “You can get in (to Harvard).” Watching Baek as he is now, Cha Tae-hyun also offers heartfelt support: “Kang-hyun, just do everything you want!” Curiosity mounts as to why he said this.
Meanwhile, according to Nielsen Korea, the first episode of SBS ‘The Gifted Discovery Team - Infinity’, which aired on the 2nd, recorded an average household rating of 3.5% (Seoul metropolitan area), with the minute-by-minute peak rising to 4.6%, showcasing its hot popularity. In particular, within the target ‘2049’ demographic, it posted 0.8%, ranking No. 1 among all programs excluding news, and it dominated in buzz as well, appearing on the main news pages of various portal sites.
The astonishing story of challenge and growth told by Baek Kang-hyun, the prodigy with the highest IQ in the history of ‘The Gifted Discovery Team’, can be seen in episode 2 of SBS ‘The Gifted Discovery Team Infinity’, airing at 9 p.m. on Thursday the 9th.
