How Did the 'Hanguk Gyoyuk Nakoja' Become the World's Top Mathematician? (Comprehensive)

Heo Jun, Associate Professor at the Institute for Basic Science, Wins International Mathematical Union 'Fields Medal'... "Nobel Prize of Mathematics"
High School Dropout, Late Start in Mathematics, Solved 12 Major Problems in 10 Years, International Mathematics 'Superstar'
"Achievement Comparable to Mars Ice Discovery" Following Culture and Sports, Could Ignite 'K-Wave' in Academia

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] "It is a mathematical achievement comparable to confirming the possibility of life by finding ice on Mars."

This is the evaluation from the mathematics community regarding the achievement of Professor Heo Jun-yi (39, photo), the first Korean to win the Fields Medal. In Korea, which has never produced a Nobel laureate in the sciences, a Fields Medalist, considered the highest honor in mathematics worldwide, has emerged first. It has been confirmed that there is a solid cornerstone to build a ‘big house’ for Korean science, which has long been criticized for its weak foundation.

Professor Heo, a scholar at the Korea Institute for Advanced Study and a professor at Princeton University in the United States, received the ‘2022 Fields Medal’ at the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) hosted by the International Mathematical Union (IMU) in Helsinki, Finland, on the 5th. Established in 1936, this award is given every four years to outstanding mathematicians under the age of 40. Born in June 1983, Professor Heo was selected as a recipient in the last year he was eligible at age 39.

This is an achievement no one has accomplished in the 120-year history of Korean mathematics. This year, Korea received the highest grade, Level 5, in the IMU’s national mathematics ranking, and with the rising status of Korean mathematics, Professor Heo’s award is expected to ignite a ‘K-wave’ in academia following culture and sports.

Professor Heo is an international mathematics ‘superstar’ who, during his graduate studies in 2012, solved the Read conjecture proposed in 1968, which had troubled mathematicians for over 50 years, and has solved 12 major mathematical problems in the past decade. Although he was born in the U.S. while his parents were studying abroad and holds American citizenship, he laid his academic foundation in Korea from elementary school through his master’s degree at Seoul National University. He is notable for transforming from a ‘dropout of Korean education’?who could not memorize multiplication tables, preferred literature over math, dreamed of becoming a novelist, and dropped out of school?to becoming the world’s top mathematician. His story of dropping out of school to become a poet during his time at Sangmun High School and then entering Seoul National University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy through the GED is well known.

Later, he met his mentor, Professor Kim Young-hoon of Seoul National University’s Department of Mathematics, which sparked his interest in mathematics. Crucially, after attending lectures by Fields Medalist Professor Heisuke Hironaka, an emeritus professor at Kyoto University arranged by Seoul National University, he fully committed to mathematical research. In particular, he achieved results after persistently working on a research topic inspired by conversations with Professor Hironaka during his master’s program.

Right after the award ceremony, Professor Heo said, "For me, mathematics is personally a process of understanding my own biases and limitations, and more generally, it is about being curious about how humans think and how deeply they can think." He added, "I feel deeply grateful to receive a meaningful award for something I do purely for my own enjoyment."