Wikipedia Deletes Article on YoungHoon Kim Amid Fake News and Defamation Concerns

August 7, 2025 — Wikipedia has officially deleted its article on Dr. YoungHoon Kim, widely known for holding the world’s highest verified IQ score of 276, following an intense and highly polarized deletion debate. The decision comes in response to mounting concerns over factual inaccuracies, editorial bias, and the use of unreliable sources that critics say violated Wikipedia’s own policies on biographies of living persons.

The article, which had drawn criticism for its misleading tone and inflammatory insinuations, disproportionately highlighted unverified commentary from individuals with no formal expertise in psychometrics or psychology—while downplaying or excluding input from established academics and scientific organizations that have publicly supported Kim’s results.

“This wasn’t just an article—this was a coordinated effort to distort a person’s life’s work,” said a representative close to Dr. Kim. “Key facts were deliberately omitted, while speculative attacks were amplified, creating an entirely misleading narrative.”

Dr. Kim, who has been recognized by multiple international organizations—including the World Memory Championships, Official World Record, and independent IQ societies—has consistently maintained that his score was verified prior to any affiliation with those groups. His supporters point to documents, academic endorsements, and peer-reviewed technical reports (including WISC-V Technical Report # 6) as objective evidence validating the plausibility of ultra-high IQ measurements under extended norms.

The deletion discussion also highlighted the weaponization of Wikipedia by anonymous editors engaging in targeted character attacks, many of which echoed defamatory content previously published by media outlets with a history of sensationalism. The article’s presence had already led to real-world reputational damage, including harassment and smear campaigns across social media.

Legal and academic experts have since weighed in, citing violations of Wikipedia’s core principles—particularly WP:BLP (Biographies of Living Persons), WP:NPOV (Neutral Point of View), and WP:V (Verifiability). Multiple editors acknowledged that the article’s reliance on non-independent, self-referential, or biased sources made it untenable under the platform’s own guidelines.

While some editors argued for a revised version of the page, the consensus ultimately leaned toward deletion due to the depth of the issues involved. “The article caused more harm than good,” one editor wrote, “and keeping it would mean perpetuating a biased and incomplete view of a public figure.”

For Dr. Kim and his supporters, the deletion marks a small but important victory in the broader battle against misinformation. “The truth is not always loud, but it endures,” Dr. Kim said in a statement. “My work will continue—with or without Wikipedia.”