South Korea's Top 2% Scientists 2022

South Korea has 2,980 scientists on the 2022 single-year Top 2% list, up 9.8% from 2,715 in 2021. That places South Korea 14th in the world by number of listed scientists. Seoul National University has the most listed scientists (165), followed by Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (158).

Single Year

2,980

+265 (+9.8%) vs 2021

Career Data

1,901

+150 (+8.6%) vs 2021

World rank by count

#14

No change vs 2021

Institutes

293

+24 (+8.9%) vs 2021

Scientists in South Korea on the list, by year

The single-year count has grown 39% since 2020.

Single-year list, change on the previous year

2021+26.9%

2022+9.8%

2023+8.7%

2024+8.0%

2025+5.6%

Show the numbers

Year	Single Year	Change	Career Data	Change
2020	2,139		1,350
2021	2,715	+26.9%	1,751	+29.7%
2022	2,980	+9.8%	1,901	+8.6%
2023	3,240	+8.7%	2,120	+11.5%
2024	3,498	+8.0%	2,366	+11.6%
2025	3,695	+5.6%	2,620	+10.7%

Top 10 institutes in South Korea

By number of listed scientists

Single-year list2022

Show the list

1Seoul National University165
2Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology158
3Sungkyunkwan University112
4Yonsei University111
5Korea University97
6Pohang University of Science and Technology94
7Kyung Hee University86
8Hanyang University82
9SKKU School of Medicine73
10University of Ulsan College of Medicine71

All 2,980 scientists

Single-year list2022

The first 100 are free to browse.

Export CSV

Rank in South Korea	World rank	Scientist	Institute	Sub-field	Rank in sub-field
1	16	MS Mirjalili, Seyedali	Yonsei University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 4
2	224	PN Park, Nam Gyu	Sungkyunkwan University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 9
3	295	GK Govindan, Kannan	Yonsei University	Operations Research	Rank 2
4	498	HH Han, Heesup	Sejong University	Sport, Leisure & Tourism	Rank 3
5	580	KK Kim, Ki Hyun	Hanyang University	Environmental Sciences	Rank 5
6	591	RR Ruoff, Rodney S.	Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 25
7	595	SY Sun, Yang Kook	Hanyang University	Energy	Rank 13
8	979	KS Kim, Se Kwon	Hanyang University	Food Science	Rank 7
9	1,016	HT Hyeon, Taeghwan	Seoul National University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 35
10	1,101	RJ Rhim, Jong Whan	Kyung Hee University	Food Science	Rank 8
11	1,205	CJ Cho, Jaephil	Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 41
12	1,275	LS Lee, Sang Yup	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology	Biotechnology	Rank 4
13	2,300	KV Kim, V. Narry	Korea Basic Science Institute	Developmental Biology	Rank 86
14	2,504	LS Lee, Saro	Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources	Geological & Geomatics Engineering	Rank 15
15	2,595	PS Park, Soo Jin	Inha University	Polymers	Rank 11
16	2,691	RS Rhee, Sue Goo	Yonsei University	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 72
17	2,747	FS Fukuzumi, Shunichi	Ewha Womans University	Organic Chemistry	Rank 42
18	2,808	GS Gurunathan, Sangiliyandi	Konkuk University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 91
19	3,435	Park, Ju H.	Yeungnam University	Industrial Engineering & Automation	Rank 30
20	4,003	Ok, Yong Sik	Korea University	Environmental Sciences	Rank 36
21	4,342	YJ Yoon, Juyoung	Ewha Womans University	Organic Chemistry	Rank 70
22	4,506	SB Sarkar, Biswajit	Yonsei University	Operations Research	Rank 15
23	4,530	GZ Geem, Zong Woo	Gachon University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 155
24	4,606	CW Choi, Wonyong	Pohang University of Science and Technology	Physical Chemistry	Rank 17
25	4,706	LH Lee, Haeshin	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 149
26	4,922	SY Surh, Young Joon	College of Pharmacy	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 179
27	5,602	BY Bang, Yung Jue	Seoul National University College of Medicine	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 212
28	5,670	KD Kim, Dong Hyun	Kyung Hee University	Pharmacology & Pharmacy	Rank 28
29	6,033	LJ Lee, Jong Heun	Korea University	Materials	Rank 76
30	6,084	NW Nam, Wonwoo	Ewha Womans University	General Chemistry	Rank 32
31	6,654	KH Kim, Hyoung Seop	Pohang University of Science and Technology	Materials	Rank 85
32	6,673	LB Lee, Byoungho	Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering	Optics	Rank 32
33	7,095	CJ Choi, Jang Wook	Seoul National University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 203
34	7,297	DC De Cooman, Bruno C.	Pohang University of Science and Technology	Materials	Rank 91
35	7,544	SS Salkuti, Surender Reddy	Woosong University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 253
36	7,892	KJ Kim, Jong S.	University of Ulsan College of Medicine	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 505
37	8,293	KD Kim, Dae Hyeong	Seoul National University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 238
38	8,454	KV Kalia, Vipin Chandra	Konkuk University	Microbiology	Rank 181
39	8,521	JJ Jang, Jyongsik	SNU College of Engineering	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 244
40	8,887	IG Ikenberry, G. John	Kyung Hee University	International Relations	Rank 6
41	8,927	LZ Li, Zhixiong	Yonsei University	Mechanical Engineering & Transports	Rank 80
42	9,116	Pandey, Sadanand	Yeungnam University	Polymers	Rank 60
43	9,476	LC Lee, Choong Ki	Kyung Hee University	Sport, Leisure & Tourism	Rank 38
44	9,967	MV Mukhanov, V. F.	Korea Institute for Advanced Study	Nuclear & Particle Physics	Rank 111
45	10,026	KK Kang, Kisuk	Seoul National University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 281
46	10,127	HC Hwang, Cheol Seong	Inter-University Semiconductor Research Center	Applied Physics	Rank 209
47	10,132	KJ Kim, J.	Kyung Hee University	Nuclear & Particle Physics	Rank 113
48	10,303	YY Yi, Youjae	Seoul National University	Marketing	Rank 51
49	10,307	LJ Lee, Jae Sung	Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology	Physical Chemistry	Rank 42
50	10,458	NT Nam, Taewoo	Sungkyunkwan University	Information Systems	Rank 33
51	10,761	KK Kim, Kimoon	Pohang University of Science and Technology	Organic Chemistry	Rank 148
52	10,820	GB Grzybowski, Bartosz A.	Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 299
53	11,270	SH Sohn, Hoon	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology	Acoustics	Rank 20
54	11,448	KJ Kim, Jin Soo	Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon	Developmental Biology	Rank 402
55	11,887	AC Ahn, Choon Ki	Korea University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 392
56	12,044	HJ Han, Jung Hoon	Sungkyunkwan University	Applied Physics	Rank 245
57	12,174	PE Park, Eunil	Sungkyunkwan University	Energy	Rank 236
58	12,569	AM Ahn, Myung Ju	SKKU School of Medicine	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 471
59	12,708	LY Lee, Young Hee	Sungkyunkwan University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 356
60	13,288	LC Lee, Changgu	Sungkyunkwan University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 370
61	13,291	LY Lee, Young Ho	Korea University College of Medicine	Arthritis & Rheumatology	Rank 86
62	13,410	JE Jo, Eun Kyeong	Chungnam National University, College of Medicine	Microbiology	Rank 304
63	13,704	CS Chang, Sea Jin	National University of Singapore	Business & Management	Rank 312
64	14,024	HW Holzapfel, Wilhelm Heinrich	Handong Global University	Microbiology	Rank 317
65	14,035	CN Cho, Nam H.	Ajou University School of Medicine	Endocrinology & Metabolism	Rank 275
66	14,350	PT Park, Tae Gwan	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology	Pharmacology & Pharmacy	Rank 74
67	14,358	KJ Kim, J.	Korea University	Organic Chemistry	Rank 197
68	14,436	KS Kim, Sanghyun	Pusan National University	General Physics	Rank 89
69	14,511	JS Jhung, Sung Hwa	Kyungpook National University	Physical Chemistry	Rank 69
70	14,517	BF Barlat, Frederic	Pohang University of Science and Technology	Materials	Rank 225
71	14,541	RR Ryoo, Ryong	Korea Institute of Energy Technology	Physical Chemistry	Rank 70
72	14,571	SM Shokouhimehr, Mohammadreza	Seoul National University	Materials	Rank 227
73	14,591	KH Kim, Hae Won	Dankook University	Biomedical Engineering	Rank 59
74	14,886	YS Yoo, Sung Jin	Chung-Ang University	Industrial Engineering & Automation	Rank 137
75	15,144	LK Lee, Kuen Yong	Hanyang University	Polymers	Rank 105
76	15,358	MS Myung, Seung Taek	Sejong University	Energy	Rank 307
77	15,618	CY Choi, Yung Hyun	Dong Eui University	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 594
78	15,795	CK Choi, Kyung Mook	Korea University College of Medicine	Endocrinology & Metabolism	Rank 308
79	15,812	CJ Chun, Jongsik	Seoul National University	Microbiology	Rank 384
80	15,937	KI Kim, Il Doo	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 432
81	15,955	SS Seok, Sang Il	Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 433
82	16,117	KG Kim, Geun Hyung	Sungkyunkwan University	Polymers	Rank 119
83	16,146	BM Bong, Mimi	Korea University	Education	Rank 122
84	16,167	GS Granick, Steve	Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology	Chemical Physics	Rank 277
85	16,249	OK Ok, Kang Min	Sogang University	Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry	Rank 50
86	16,294	LT Lee, Tae Woo	Seoul National University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 443
87	16,332	KY Khang, Young Ho	Seoul National University College of Medicine	General & Internal Medicine	Rank 252
88	16,779	RJ Roh, Jong Lyel	College of Medicine, Pochon CHA University	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 641
89	16,788	KK Kim, Kwang S.	Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology	Chemical Physics	Rank 288
90	16,897	KY Kim, Yong Ku	Korea University College of Medicine	Psychiatry	Rank 368
91	17,125	PJ Paik, Jeom Kee	Pusan National University	Civil Engineering	Rank 57
92	17,245	Das, Kinkar Chandra	Sungkyunkwan University	General Mathematics	Rank 59
93	17,505	AS Ahn, Sung Hoon	Seoul National University	Industrial Engineering & Automation	Rank 161
94	17,554	KS Ko, Seung Hwan	Institute of Advanced Machines and Design	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 486
95	17,598	SS Sul, Seung Ki	Seoul National University	Electrical & Electronic Engineering	Rank 58
96	17,607	SY Suh, Young Jin	Kyungpook National University	General Mathematics	Rank 63
97	17,620	CI Chung, Ill Min	Konkuk University	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 222
98	17,818	YD Yoo, Doo Yeol	Hanyang University	Building & Construction	Rank 97
99	17,883	RC Ryu, Choong Min	Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 225
100	17,966	PJ Patra, Jayanta Kumar	Dongguk University, Seoul	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 227
No scientists match this filter.

Showing 1 to 100 of the first 100 Show

Paid plans

See all 2,980 scientists in South Korea

You are seeing the first 100. 2,880 more are on the 2022 single-year list.

Ranks 101 to 2,980The whole list, not only the top 100.

Every year since 2020Single Year and Career Data.

Search the full listBy name, institute or sub-field.

CSV exportDownload the list for your own work.

View Plans & Upgrade Compare plans

Cancel anytime · Secure billing

Countries with a similar count

Single-year list2022

India3,761 scientistsin 2022

Spain3,712 scientistsin 2022

Switzerland3,233 scientistsin 2022

Sweden2,472 scientistsin 2022

Iran1,943 scientistsin 2022

Denmark1,890 scientistsin 2022

Explore other countries

Single-year list2022

China19,310 scientistsin 2022

Japan5,496 scientistsin 2022

Taiwan1,340 scientistsin 2022

Hong Kong1,270 scientistsin 2022

Macau85 scientistsin 2022

Israel1,537 scientistsin 2022

All countries on the world map

Frequently asked questions

How many scientists from South Korea are in the 2022 Stanford Top 2% list?

2,980 scientists affiliated with South Korea are on the 2022 single-year list, and 1,901 are on the career-long list.

Which institute in South Korea has the most Top 2% scientists?

On the 2022 single-year list, Seoul National University has the most listed scientists from South Korea, with 165. It is followed by Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology with 158.

How has the number of Top 2% scientists in South Korea changed since 2020?

On the single-year list, South Korea went from 2,139 scientists in 2020 to 2,980 in 2022, a change of +39.3%.

What is the difference between the single-year and career-long lists?

The single-year list ranks scientists on the citations their work received in one year. The career-long list ranks them on citations across their whole career. Both lists are published every year, and a scientist can be on one, both or neither.

What is the official source of this data?

The rankings come from the science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators published by Ioannidis et al. in the Elsevier Data Repository, updated every year. TOPSCINET, an independent platform, organises that data by country, year, institute and field, so you can compare and explore it.