Sungwoo moved to Shanghai from the Republic of Korea with his parents in Year 3 of primary school and enrolled at Yew Chung. Although he briefly returned to his home country for family reasons, he rejoined Yew Chung in Year 8, and spent his secondary years at YCIS Shanghai Pudong .

Reflecting on his early days in Shanghai, Sungwoo said that the similarities between Korean and Chinese cultures helped him to adapt smoothly. He quickly made many friends within Yew Chung's close-knit community. English initially posed a challenge. However, with the support of the school's EAL (English as an Additional Language) Programme and his own efforts, Sungwoo was able to integrate into the regular academic curriculum within three months after entering primary school.

Sungwoo excelled academically at Yew Chung. His name repeatedly appeared in the school's honours lists. Moreover, he attained remarkable achievements in the American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) 10, the international Caribou Mathematics Competition, the UK Maths Trust contests, the World Scholar's Cup, and Model United Nations activities.

When asked what drove him to keep pushing himself, he jokingly said, "What makes my cohort really special is the large number of talented people we have in our group. That environment kept me motivated to study and prepare even harder."

But his deeper motivation has come from his love of problem-solving itself.

His interest can be traced back to his childhood. His mother, a former middle-school mathematics teacher, encouraged him from a young age to question everyday phenomena and seek his own answers independently.

Over time, problem-solving became his passion. "When I look at a mathematics question, I've always enjoyed the process of finding an answer to the question. This has been the driving factor for me to study mathematics and science, and to pursue a career in science and engineering," he explained.

For Sungwoo, true problem-solving isn't about copying existing methods; it has been about  developing his own approaches based on theory.

For example, his passion for pasta transforms the kitchen into his laboratory. By testing noodles at various cooking intervals, he analyses how their molecular structure and tensile strength change during cooking, aiming to create his own "pasta maturation curve."

By Year 12, Sungwoo was part of the school's Learner Prefect Team, which is resposnsible for organising academic events. During an exchange trip to an international school in Tianjin, he encountered cognitive learning theory and saw how the school had applied it through peer tutoring. He wondered whether a similar initiative could be launched at YCIS Shanghai Pudong.

This was how the "Learner Lab" was established.

With three other student leaders, he transformed the school's English Learning Community space into an open tutoring hub. Students needing academic support could drop in during lunch breaks to receive help from their high-achieving peers.

Initially, only one or two classmates would come each day. But with the support and promotion from teachers and friends, more and more students began to attend. At its peak, more than 20 students participated each day.

The Learner Lab utilized Sungwoo's own learning philosophy. He emphasised, "I think when you're teaching, you have to teach how to do the process instead of only how to derive the results. If the students only get the result, but don't understand the processes regarding it, they won't be able to produce results on their own."

One story made him particularly proud. A student who had struggled with mathematics saw significant improvement after regular tutoring. "I think we had one student who came frequently to the Learner Lab. She had struggled with mathematics back then. When we helped her consistently, I was told that her grades improved a lot over the course of a semester. I think that this case demonstrated that our efforts worked, and it showed the results," he shared.

In addition to tutoring at school, Sungwoo spends most Saturdays volunteering to teach Korean to younger children in the Korean community in Shanghai. Having benefitted from similar Korean tutoring as a primary student himself, he wanted to give back to the community once he entered high school.

These activities helped Sungwoo develop strong interpersonal skills. 

"Especially with preschoolers—that was my first time spending extended time with children that age," he noted.

Sungwoo believes that exposure to new experiences promotes character growth. Apart from academics, he was the guitarist and bassist for the school's Stage & Show Band, played the trumpet in the Concert & Marching Band, and was a member of the football team.

"I think everyone should have the opportunity to experience gradual progress in a specific area—where you can clearly see your small steps adding up. Learning an instrument also opens doors to concerts and performances. The pressure of preparation and the nerves required for performing are unique experiences hard to replicate elsewhere," he reflected.

This autumn, Sungwoo will begin his studies at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), often called the "MIT of the Republic of Korea." He is looking forward to specialising in chemical engineering or chemical and biomolecular engineering.

Reflecting on his time at Yew Chung, Sungwoo appreciated the cultural diversity and the intellectual environment there that helped him identify and pursue his goals.

"Everything is problem-solving. You always have an objective, and to reach it, you must complete specific steps. That might have become part of my worldview," Sungwoo said with a smile.

Looking ahead, we expect this passionate "problem-solver" to uncover more scientific mysteries at KAIST, while extending his love for knowledge and his care for the community even further.