Did you know these K-pop idols were also smart students? G-Dragon, Kyuhyun, Wendy and more

Renowned South Korean rapper G-Dragon was recently the talk of the town after it was announced that he had accepted the role of visiting professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST).

As part of his new role, G-Dragon (whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong) will deliver lectures on leadership under KAIST’s mechanical engineering department and organise cultural events for students.

While the change in job scope might raise a few eyebrows, G-Dragon does have the credentials to back it up and is actually one of the many academically inclined K-pop idols.

Here’s what G-Dragon has achieved, and a list of a few other entertainers who, in the words of girl group Le Sserafim, are smarter, baby, smarter.

1. G-DRAGON

In 2008, G-Dragon enrolled at Kyunghee University to study postmodern music. However, due to his work with BigBang, he had to drop out. Thereafter, he enrolled into Gukje Cyber University in 2009 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in leisure sports studies in 2013.

However, that wasn’t the end of his academic journey. That same year, G-Dragon enrolled into Sejong University, one of the top colleges in South Korea, to pursue a postgraduate degree. In 2016, he graduated with a master's degree in content and retail distribution and even had plans to take on a doctoral degree which were halted due to his military enlistment.

2. TABLO

In 1998, Epik High member Tablo (whose real name is Daniel Lee) enrolled into California’s Stanford University – one of the most elite colleges in the United States. In less than four years, the Korean-Canadian obtained both a bachelor's degree in English literature and a master's degree in creative writing. During his time there, he even wrote a book and received a creative writing award from his professor for one of his short stories.

However, in 2010, as South Korea was reeling from a string of incidents that saw influential figures getting caught having fake diplomas, Tablo’s credentials were called into question. 

Many Korean netizens were sceptical of the short time it took Tablo to get both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree, and began looking into his past. The hate messages against Tablo and his family intensified which prompted Tablo to appear in a documentary where he visited Stanford University and reprinted his transcripts on camera.

3. PARK KYUNG

The Block B member is regarded as one of the smartest entertainers in South Korea, with the honour of being the first K-pop idol to be accepted as a member of Mensa International. In an episode of the tvN variety show Problematic Men, the rapper revealed that his IQ score was 156 – putting him in the 99th percentile.

The video below shows him demonstrating his thinking skills in record time.

4. CHANGMIN

While most people only have one bachelor’s degree, the TVXQ member has two: One in postmodern music from Kyunghee University and another in film and arts from Konkuk University. He also pursued a master’s degree and PhD at Inha University – an institute that has consistently been ranked among the top universities in South Korea.

5. KYUHYUN

We all know that Kyuhyun is a man of many talents; he can dance, host and even sing in Malay. But did you know that the Super Junior member was a math genius back in school?

Kyuhyun won the first prize at the National Math Olympiad in 2004 and also received the Ministry Of Science And Technology Award for his math skills. He was so skilled in math that he was placed in a special class for gifted students in his school, despite not scoring as well for his other subjects.

Eventually, he enrolled into Kyunghee University and graduated with bachelor's degree in postmodern music. In 2016, he received his master’s degree from the same university.

6. WENDY

7. KEY

Continuing the streak of smart idols from SM Entertainment is Shinee’s Key. In addition to having a bachelor’s degree in film and musicals, he also has a master’s degree in culture and education content development. In 2016, his master’s thesis was presented at the International Conference On New Horizons In Education in Vienna, Austria.