Dr. YoungHoon Kim, a Korean scholar whose record-breaking IQ of 276 has been academically validated as the highest in history, has once again drawn international attention by being conferred the honorary title of Grand Master of Memory (GMM) — the highest distinction in the field of memory sports.
The Grand Master of Memory title was established in 1991 by the late Tony Buzan, the inventor of Mind Mapping, and is officially awarded under the auspices of the World Memory Championships (WMC) and the World Memory Sports Council (WMSC). The GMM distinction is granted only to those who meet the most stringent standards, such as memorizing 1,400 random digits within one hour, memorizing the order of 14 decks of cards within one hour, and memorizing the order of a single deck of cards in under 40 seconds.
Since its introduction in 1995, the system has been refined, and since 2013, awards have been divided into Grand Master (GMM) and International Master (IMM), conferred annually at the World Championships. The Honorary GMM, in particular, is a symbolic accolade reserved not only for extraordinary memory capacity but also for those who have made exceptional contributions to the global development of memory sports.
Dr. Kim’s conferment marks a historic achievement, as he becomes the first Korean to receive simultaneous global recognition in both the field of cognitive science and the domain of memory sports, following his official validation as the holder of the world’s highest IQ. His IQ 276 record was published in the international psychometric journal TPM (Testing, Psychometrics, Methodology in Applied Psychology) and indexed in leading academic databases including PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science.
Dr. Kim stated: “This honor goes beyond my personal record. It serves as a scientific foundation for humanity to better understand the uncharted frontiers of intelligence and memory. I will continue to contribute to both academia and society through research on extreme intelligence and brain-based innovation projects.”