JUNE HUH WINS THE FIELDS MEDAL

[Anchor Lead]

A Korean American mathematician has won the highest honor in math becoming the first person of Korean descent to win the prestigious award. The Fields Medal, dubbed the Nobel Prize in mathematics, is awarded during the International Congress of Mathematicians held once every four years. This year, the congress took place in Helsinki, Finland.

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[Soundbite] "The next awardee is June Huh from Princeton University."

Princeton University professor June Huh received the Fields Medal, the highest honor in math, granted once every four years.

[Soundbite] June Huh(Princeton Univ. Professor) : "I believe I received the honor on behalf of my colleagues. So many people I'm grateful for come to mind."

The medal is dubbed by some as the Nobel Prize in mathematics. It's the first time a person of Korean descent won the prestigious award.

[Soundbite] June Huh(Princeton Univ. Professor) : "Young mathematicians are producing astonishing accomplishments and my research is just a tiny portion. I believe similar awards news will abound in the future."

Professor Huh has been recognized for his many achievements in algebraic geometry, especially for his ideas in solving a long standing conundrum first raised in the math community in 1968.

[Soundbite] June Huh(Princeton Univ. Professor) : "Problems that remain unsolved for decades often require a completely new way of thinking. The feeling of stepping into uncharted territory is quite addictive and it pushed me to continue my research."

Born in the U.S., Huh did most of his studies in Korea, from elementary school to completing a master's degree in the nation.

[Soundbite] Prof. Kim Yeong-hun(Seoul Nat'l Univ.(Adviser to Huh's Master studies)) : "Huh was able to solve many conundrums by connecting two seemingly unrelated fields of algebraic geometry and combinatorics."

The Fields Medal, established in 1936 is named after the prominent Canadian mathematician John Charles Fields. The Korean math community is overjoyed by the latest news that comes on the heels of the International Mathematical Union upgrading Korea's ranking back in February.