By Lee Ji-hye

A North Korean defector surnamed Kim has been admitted to the prestigious Seoul National University (SNU) for this year.

Kim ran away from North Korea three years ago and started freshman year classes in high school in 2012.

Within one school year, Kim’s grades had separated himself from his classmates, receiving the highest possible grade in Korean, Chinese, and English.

Young North Korean defectors often struggle in school, activists say, because of gaps with their South Korean peers in language and culture.

Kim was reported to have a keen interest in robot technology. He has won awards in physics during competitions.

He applied through SNU’s “Equal Opportunity Admission Procedures” with his scores from the national College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) that he took last November.

Kim was informed by the admissions office that he had been accepted.