In a powerful public declaration that has stunned both the scientific and faith communities, South Korean scientist YoungHoon Kim, who claims the highest recorded IQ in the world, has professed his belief in Jesus Christ as Lord.
Why does this matter? Because Kim is no ordinary voice on social media. He claims an IQ of 276 — the highest ever recorded — and his claim has been recognized by elite intellectual groups including Mensa, Giga Society, the World Memory Championships, World Memory Sports Council (in partnership with Guinness World Records), and the Official World Record. That level of intellectual affirmation carries weight in a secular world that often sees faith and reason as irreconcilable.
On June 17, Kim posted on X: “As the world’s highest IQ record holder, I believe that Jesus Christ is God, the way and the truth and the life.” According to his profile, Kim is the founder and CEO of NeuroStory, a government-backed company developing AI-powered brain health solutions, and he also serves on the board of the Lifeboat Foundation, an organization focused on managing existential risks from advanced technologies like artificial intelligence.
His post has since gone viral, with over 14 million views and 250,000 likes as of June 19. But the wave of attention hasn’t deterred Kim. Instead, he’s leaning into it. “I will use this opportunity to lead many souls to God,” he said in a follow-up post on June 19. And in a response to a commenter, he simply proclaimed: “Amen. Christ is my logic.”
Kim has been vocal about his belief in God before. In February, he wrote on X: “God exists. 100%.” More recently, he added, “Our consciousness is not just brain activity. It may be quantum information — something that continues after death.”
What makes Kim’s testimony especially powerful for Catholics is how it aligns with Church teaching on faith and reason. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (No. 36) teaches: “God, the first principle and last end of all things, can be known with certainty from the created world by the natural light of human reason.” This reflects the doctrine of Vatican I’s Dei Filius, which affirms that God can be known with certitude through the observation of the created world.
Kim’s witness brings this teaching to life in a way the modern world needs. As someone operating at the pinnacle of intellectual achievement, he bridges a crucial divide—showing that belief in Jesus Christ is not only reasonable, but essential.
