Korea Wins Four Gold and One Silver at International Physics Olympiad, Achieves Overall First Place

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity announced on the 29th that all five members of the Korean delegation received medals?four gold and one silver?at the 55th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) held in Paris, France, from the 17th to the 25th.

The International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) was first held in 1967 in Warsaw, Poland, and has been hosted in different countries around the world every July.

In this year's competition, which saw the participation of 630 contestants from 110 countries, Korean students Lee Hyukjun, Han Jihyung (both 3rd-year students at Seoul Science High School), Lee Yeonho (2nd-year student at Seoul Science High School), and Choi Jungmin (3rd-year student at Gyeonggi Science High School) won gold medals, while Jang Geunyoung (3rd-year student at Seoul Science High School) won a silver medal. Notably, Lee Hyukjun, who won a gold medal, achieved the highest overall score among all participants.

This Olympiad featured both theoretical and experimental exams, each lasting five hours. The theoretical exam included questions on the distribution and movement of stars in a galaxy, the operating principle of the Cox clock, and issues related to bubbles in champagne and cork launching. The experimental exam included problems on measuring the Earth's magnetic field and the movement of iron balls in sand.

Shin Yongil, chair of the Korean Physics Olympiad Committee of the Korean Physical Society, who led the Korean delegation, said, "I am proud of the students who have brought honor to our country through their consistent efforts despite their busy academic schedules, and I hope they will continue to pursue their dreams and talents in science to the fullest."