A South Korean high school student who publicly criticized former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law last year has once again drawn public attention after being admitted to Harvard University.
Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies in Gyeonggi Province announced Saturday that its student council president, Hwang Jun-ho, who issued a public statement condemning then President Yoon’s martial law imposition, has been accepted to Harvard University through the early decision process for the 2026 academic year.
“This achievement is particularly notable given the increasingly competitive admissions environment and the Trump administration’s tightening of anti-immigration policies,” Park In-ho, the school’s vice principal, said.
Last year, Hwang drafted a statement opposing the declaration and gathered signatures from 577 fellow students in support.
According to the school, he also founded a student-led online education platform that connected 30 mentors from seven countries and delivered about 170 hours of free instruction in Korean, math, English and science to more than 1,000 underprivileged students.
Hwang said he hopes to use his studies at Harvard to address challenges facing South Korea, including multiculturalism and the country’s low birthrate.
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