South Korea's Top 2% Scientists 2023

South Korea has 3,240 scientists on the 2023 single-year Top 2% list, up 8.7% from 2,980 in 2022. That places South Korea 14th in the world by number of listed scientists. Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology has the most listed scientists (167), followed by Seoul National University (163).

Single Year

3,240

+260 (+8.7%) vs 2022

Career Data

2,120

+219 (+11.5%) vs 2022

World rank by count

#14

No change vs 2022

Institutes

319

+26 (+8.9%) vs 2022

Scientists in South Korea on the list, by year

The single-year count has grown 51% 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 list2023

Show the list

1Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology167
2Seoul National University163
3Sungkyunkwan University117
4Yonsei University110
5Korea University104
6Pohang University of Science and Technology98
7Kyung Hee University84
8Seoul National University College of Medicine82
9Hanyang University78
10Kyungpook National University72

All 3,240 scientists

Single-year list2023

The first 100 are free to browse.

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Rank in South Korea	World rank	Scientist	Institute	Sub-field	Rank in sub-field
1	5	MS Mirjalili, Seyedali	Yonsei University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 2
2	186	PN Park, Nam Gyu	Sungkyunkwan University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 8
3	222	HH Han, Heesup	Sejong University	Sport, Leisure & Tourism	Rank 1
4	319	SY Sun, Yang Kook	Hanyang University	Energy	Rank 11
5	358	KK Kim, Ki Hyun	Hanyang University	Environmental Sciences	Rank 5
6	517	RJ Rhim, Jong Whan	Kyung Hee University	Food Science	Rank 3
7	835	RR Ruoff, Rodney S.	Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 28
8	1,086	KS Kim, Se Kwon	Hanyang University ERICA Campus	Food Science	Rank 9
9	1,127	SH Srivastava, Hari Mohan	Kyung Hee University	General Mathematics	Rank 3
10	1,287	LS Lee, Sang Yup	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology	Biotechnology	Rank 4
11	1,448	HT Hyeon, Taeghwan	Seoul National University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 49
12	1,713	LS Lee, Saro	Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources	Geological & Geomatics Engineering	Rank 10
13	1,846	CJ Cho, Jaephil	Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 63
14	2,280	Ok, Yong Sik	Korea University	Environmental Sciences	Rank 27
15	2,581	PS Park, Soo Jin	Inha University	Polymers	Rank 12
16	2,999	FS Fukuzumi, Shunichi	Ewha Womans University	Organic Chemistry	Rank 43
17	3,366	KV Kim, V. Narry	Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon	Developmental Biology	Rank 119
18	3,987	GZ Geem, Zong Woo	Gachon University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 157
19	4,409	KD Kim, Dae Hyeong	Seoul National University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 146
20	4,467	BY Bang, Yung Jue	Seoul National University College of Medicine	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 151
21	4,654	YJ Yoon, Juyoung	Ewha Womans University	Organic Chemistry	Rank 66
22	4,693	RS Rhee, Sue Goo	Yonsei University College of Medicine	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 102
23	4,696	LH Lee, Haeshin	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 153
24	4,904	Park, Ju H.	Yeungnam University	Industrial Engineering & Automation	Rank 49
25	4,954	SB Sarkar, Biswajit	Yonsei University	Operations Research	Rank 18
26	5,010	KD Kim, Dong Hyun	Kyung Hee University	Pharmacology & Pharmacy	Rank 19
27	5,267	CW Choi, Wonyong	Korea Institute of Energy Technology	Physical Chemistry	Rank 22
28	5,525	LB Lee, Byoungho	Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering	Optics	Rank 27
29	5,579	SS Salkuti, Surender Reddy	Woosong University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 227
30	5,742	DC De Cooman, Bruno C.	Pohang University of Science and Technology	Materials	Rank 88
31	5,931	KH Kim, Hyoung Seop	Pohang University of Science and Technology	Materials	Rank 90
32	6,053	AC Ahn, Choon Ki	Korea University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 243
33	6,289	Pandey, Sadanand	Yeungnam University	Polymers	Rank 39
34	6,311	SY Surh, Young Joon	College of Pharmacy	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 217
35	6,893	LJ Lee, Jong Heun	Korea University	Materials	Rank 106
36	6,991	PE Park, Eunil	Sungkyunkwan University	Energy	Rank 146
37	7,561	YY Yi, Youjae	Seoul National University	Marketing	Rank 41
38	7,679	CJ Choi, Jang Wook	Seoul National University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 232
39	8,217	GB Grzybowski, Bartosz A.	Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 246
40	8,390	AM Ahn, Myung Ju	SKKU School of Medicine	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 299
41	8,405	KV Kalia, Vipin Chandra	Konkuk University	Microbiology	Rank 173
42	8,760	BS Benjakul, Soottawat	Kyung Hee University	Food Science	Rank 57
43	9,162	SM Shokouhimehr, Mohammadreza	Seoul National University	Materials	Rank 145
44	9,196	LJ Lee, Jae Sung	Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology	Physical Chemistry	Rank 35
45	9,409	KJ Kim, Jong S.	University of Ulsan College of Medicine	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 527
46	9,657	HC Hwang, Cheol Seong	Inter-University Semiconductor Research Center	Applied Physics	Rank 197
47	9,686	SH Sohn, Hoon	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology	Acoustics	Rank 13
48	10,361	YD Yoo, Doo Yeol	Yonsei University	Building & Construction	Rank 66
49	10,392	NW Nam, Wonwoo	Ewha Womans University	General Chemistry	Rank 44
50	10,500	HJ Han, Jung Hoon	Sungkyunkwan University	Applied Physics	Rank 217
51	10,552	KK Kang, Kisuk	Seoul National University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 319
52	10,975	Kang, Hyun	College of Medicine	Anesthesiology	Rank 33
53	11,322	LB Lee, Byeong Joo	Pohang University of Science and Technology	Materials	Rank 183
54	11,811	KK Kim, Kwang S.	Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology	Chemical Physics	Rank 200
55	11,834	LJ Lee, Jay H.	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology	Industrial Engineering & Automation	Rank 116
56	11,879	YS Yoo, Sung Jin	Chung-Ang University	Industrial Engineering & Automation	Rank 117
57	11,905	MK Muhammad, Khan	Sungkyunkwan University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 464
58	12,014	OK Ok, Kang Min	Sogang University	Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry	Rank 30
59	12,025	RR Ryoo, Ryong	Korea Institute of Energy Technology	Physical Chemistry	Rank 50
60	12,036	KJ Kim, Jihn E.	Kyung Hee University	Nuclear & Particle Physics	Rank 114
61	12,223	LY Lee, Young Hee	Sungkyunkwan University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 362
62	12,368	KJ Kim, Jong Seung	Korea University	Organic Chemistry	Rank 161
63	12,742	NT Nam, Taewoo	Sungkyunkwan University	Information Systems	Rank 45
64	12,885	LY Lee, Young Ho	Korea University Anam Hospital	Arthritis & Rheumatology	Rank 80
65	12,924	LH Lee, Honglak	LG AI Research	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 494
66	13,348	KY Khang, Young Ho	Seoul National University College of Medicine	General & Internal Medicine	Rank 220
67	13,591	KH Kim, Hae Won	Dankook University	Biomedical Engineering	Rank 48
68	13,692	PJ Patra, Jayanta Kumar	Dongguk University, Seoul	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 179
69	13,830	KY Kang, Yoon Koo	Asan Medical Center	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 507
70	13,832	AS Ahn, Sung Hoon	Seoul National University	Industrial Engineering & Automation	Rank 141
71	13,881	CS Chang, Sea Jin	National University of Singapore	Business & Management	Rank 361
72	13,916	JS Jhung, Sung Hwa	Kyungpook National University	Physical Chemistry	Rank 59
73	13,933	JJ Jang, Jyongsik	Seoul National University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 414
74	13,937	PT Park, Tae Gwan	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology	Pharmacology & Pharmacy	Rank 68
75	14,088	LC Lee, Changgu	Sungkyunkwan University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 420
76	14,170	LC Lee, Choong Ki	Kyung Hee University	Sport, Leisure & Tourism	Rank 60
77	14,342	KK Kim, Kimoon	Pohang University of Science and Technology	Organic Chemistry	Rank 184
78	14,406	SS Sul, Seung Ki	Seoul National University	Electrical & Electronic Engineering	Rank 41
79	14,660	HW Holzapfel, Wilhelm Heinrich	Handong Global University	Microbiology	Rank 331
80	14,916	CY Choi, Yung Hyun	Dong-Eui University	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 545
81	14,993	CJ Choi, Jin Nam	Seoul National University	Business & Management	Rank 387
82	15,116	KY Kim, Yong Ku	Korea University Ansan Hospital	Psychiatry	Rank 322
83	15,178	SS Seok, Sang Il	Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 449
84	15,220	PS Park, Seong Ho	Asan Medical Center	Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging	Rank 38
85	15,691	PS Park, Sangwon	Kyung Hee University	Sport, Leisure & Tourism	Rank 68
86	15,776	YJ Ye, Jong Chul	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology	Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging	Rank 44
87	16,001	CI Chung, Ill Min	Konkuk University	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 219
88	16,070	KS Kim, Sumin	Yonsei University	Building & Construction	Rank 105
89	16,074	MS Myung, Seung Taek	Sejong University	Energy	Rank 350
90	16,173	PJ Park, Jong Hyuk	Seoul National University of Science and Technology	Networking & Telecommunications	Rank 148
91	16,262	BO Bang, Oh Young	Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan university	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 886
92	16,296	CK Choi, Kyung Mook	Korea University College of Medicine	Endocrinology & Metabolism	Rank 306
93	16,468	HS Hyun, Sunghyup S.	Hanyang University	Sport, Leisure & Tourism	Rank 71
94	16,711	KS Ko, Seung Hwan	Applied Nano and Thermal Science Lab	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 500
95	16,789	RC Ryu, Choong Min	Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 226
96	16,814	KJ Kim, Jin Soo	Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon	Developmental Biology	Rank 493
97	17,043	LY Lee, Young Moo	Hanyang University	Polymers	Rank 130
98	17,053	KI Kim, Il Doo	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 513
99	17,059	PH Park, Hyun Jin	Korea University	Food Science	Rank 128
100	17,067	BV Bajpai, Vivek K.	Dongguk University, Seoul	Food Science	Rank 129
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Countries with a similar count

Single-year list2023

Netherlands4,291 scientistsin 2023

Spain3,736 scientistsin 2023

Switzerland3,311 scientistsin 2023

Sweden2,548 scientistsin 2023

Iran2,141 scientistsin 2023

Denmark1,958 scientistsin 2023

Explore other countries

Single-year list2023

China23,487 scientistsin 2023

Japan5,694 scientistsin 2023

Hong Kong1,452 scientistsin 2023

Taiwan1,420 scientistsin 2023

Macau105 scientistsin 2023

India4,635 scientistsin 2023

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Frequently asked questions

How many scientists from South Korea are in the 2023 Stanford Top 2% list?

3,240 scientists affiliated with South Korea are on the 2023 single-year list, and 2,120 are on the career-long list.

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

On the 2023 single-year list, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology has the most listed scientists from South Korea, with 167. It is followed by Seoul National University with 163.

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 3,240 in 2023, a change of +51.5%.

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.