Vietnam's top-scoring 18-year-old prodigy chooses KAIST over US universities: 'I want to become a top AI expert'

An 18-year-old prodigy who topped Vietnam's national university entrance exam in science and engineering while also achieving a perfect SAT score has chosen to study in South Korea rather than the United States — enrolling in the computer science program at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.

Vietnamese media outlets including VnExpress reported Saturday (local time) that Hoang Huong Giang, 18, a 12th-grade student at the gifted high school affiliated with Hanoi National University of Education, scored 29.75 out of 30 on the science and engineering track of Vietnam's 2026 national high school graduation exam, placing her joint first nationwide.

Hoang also achieved a perfect score of 1,600 on the SAT and an IELTS score of 8.0 out of 9.0 — results that would have qualified her for top American universities. Instead, she is set to begin the fall semester at KAIST's computer science department next month.

In an interview with Yonhap News Agency, Hoang explained why she chose South Korea. "I considered studying in Western countries, but I thought Korea would offer more opportunities to apply knowledge in real life because of the close ties between universities and large companies," she said.

Safety and cultural familiarity also factored into her decision. "Korea has a very low crime rate and is safer than many other countries, and it has a culture and food that Vietnamese people find familiar," she said. "Many large Korean companies have production facilities in Vietnam, so there will be many opportunities for cooperation and development in the future."

Her reasons for choosing KAIST specifically were equally clear. Hoang said the quiet atmosphere of Daejeon suited her personality better than Seoul, with its many shopping and entertainment options. "The fact that KAIST conducts all its classes in English was also one reason," she added.

South Korea has been stepping up efforts to attract high-achieving international students. The Ministry of Education set a target of recruiting 300,000 foreign students by 2027 through its "Study Korea 300K" project and said the number of international students reached 253,000 last year.

Hoang's choice reflects that broader trend. As Korean universities and companies deepen their collaboration in advanced industries such as AI, semiconductors and robotics, South Korea is increasingly emerging as an alternative to the United States and Europe for top Asian students.

Hoang said she has long enjoyed mathematics and physics and learned programming in high school. Her goal is to pursue graduate studies and become a leading expert in AI. "I want to interact with outstanding professors and fellow students, join a research lab and learn more in diverse environments," she said.

On her approach to studying, she emphasized understanding over memorization. Asked about the secret to finishing first nationwide amid Vietnam's fiercely competitive university entrance process, Hoang said the most important thing is "studying by understanding the essence." She added: "Rather than blindly memorizing tricks, formulas or answers, I want to prove them myself before using them in my own solutions."

An interest in Korean culture also influenced her decision. "I've watched the films 'Parasite' and 'Train to Busan.' I listen to TWICE and T-ara, and I also read Korean webtoons," she said. Her favorite song is TWICE's "What Is Love?"