Mathematician of a Strange Land 'Heo Junyi' [Reading Science]

Heo Jun, a Fields Medalist and a professor at Princeton University as well as a distinguished scholar at the Korea Institute for Advanced Study's Mathematics Division, returned to Korea on the 8th through Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 and is being interviewed by the press. Photo by Moon Honam

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] This is truly a fascinating country. Despite its short history and small population, geniuses who dominate the world emerge sporadically in various fields. Until now, this was mainly in the cultural and sports sectors. However, a genius recognized for world-class achievements has appeared even in the scientific field, which was considered the most lagging behind. On the 5th, Huh June, a professor at Princeton University in the United States and a distinguished scholar at the Korea Institute for Advanced Study, received the Fields Medal, known as the "Nobel Prize of Mathematics."

In the scientific field, which has lagged behind the West by hundreds of years, especially in mathematics, the "mother" of all sciences, it is truly a cause for celebration that a Korean has achieved and been recognized for top-level research accomplishments. In Asia, countries with strong basic sciences such as Japan and China have long produced Fields Medal recipients. Korea, which only began laying the foundation in the 1980s, has gained a solid pillar in just over 40 years.

Mathematics is also a core foundational field of science that will lead the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where technological advancement and informatization determine a nation's fate. For the future, Professor Huh should be recognized not as a "lucky genius who happened to appear," but as a scholar who paved the way for future generations to follow.

Professor Huh's Fields Medal award should be taken not as a "success" but as an opportunity for reflection and introspection. Let's look at the bare truth revealed by the Korean scientific community through this Fields Medal award. Seoul National University, his alma mater, issued a press release immediately after the award announcement, praising itself as "the platform for the growth of the mathematician." Is that claim justified? After earning his master's degree at Seoul National University, Professor Huh applied to 12 graduate schools overseas but was rejected by all except the University of Illinois. The "Seoul National University brand" did not work. If Professor Huh had not met Professor Heisuke Hironaka, an emeritus professor at Kyoto University in Japan, he might have become a dropout due to being a leave-of-absence student with poor grades and older age.

The Korean Mathematical Society and the Korea Institute for Advanced Study are also eager to claim "we nurtured him" simply because Professor Huh's research achievements began during his master's program. The Korean Mathematical Society, citing his International Mathematical Olympiad awards, is prematurely celebrating, saying "another Fields Medal will come soon." Considering that countries like Germany, Japan, and Italy have produced only two or three recipients with intervals of 30 to 40 years, Korea, with a weak foundation, needs to review its educational system from the ground up. Moreover, after learning of the Fields Medal award in March, the fact that advance press releases were sent only to a few selected media outlets has drawn criticism. It is also said that professional media covering the award ceremony were insulted as "unknowns." The Ministry of Science and ICT is no different. Despite this being a major award achievement, they failed to recognize or prepare in advance and only acted afterward.

Let's listen to the words of Dr. Lee Hak-seong, a genius mathematician from North Korea, featured in the movie "The Mathematician in the Strange Land." "Do you know who excels at mathematics? The smartest ones run away first. Then come those who only work hard. Even if they get a problem wrong, they think, 'Ah, this is a tough one. Shall I try again tomorrow morning?' and keep trying. Those who have a relaxed mind and courage do well in mathematics."

We must focus on establishing a foundation to nurture such scientists who can calmly enjoy and boldly challenge difficult problems.