Deciphering our genes and redefining humanity!
Beyond the boundaries of science, ethics, law, and society on the map engraved by the genome
The only fusion textbook that imparts new wisdom!
A genome compass presented by Dr. Lee Min-seop, a pioneer in genome analysis.

This book is a popular educational resource that explains the vast flow of human genome information in a language that anyone can understand in the age of artificial intelligence.
Under the insight that “genes are not destiny,” it goes beyond simple biological knowledge and examines the questions about health, disease, new drug development, and human identity that modern genetics raises.
Each person's innate DNA differences, their genetic history linked to their ancestors, their risk of developing certain diseases, and even their unique reactions to medications.
The genome already contains everything.
The question is whether we are ready to read it.

The author of the book, Dr. Lee Min-seop, is a person of distinguished achievement who received a master's degree in biotechnology from the University of California, a doctorate in molecular biology from City of Hope National Medical Center, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Harvard Medical School Genome Center. He published the world's first paper on genetic diversity between races in the journal Science.
He developed non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) at Sequenom, a US company, and later founded genetics-based companies such as Diagnomics and EDGC, leading research and development and technology commercialization.
The story of the genome he unfolds goes beyond simple medical knowledge and contains philosophical reflections on technology, industry, and life.

This book demonstrates, through real-life examples, how accessible health technologies are created and how they work.
From the core concepts of precision medicine to how to interpret health information tailored to you, and how genomic technology will transform future society, it helps you prepare for the new era of "self-understanding" brought about by genetic information.
The era has arrived where reading genetic information has become common sense.
This book is the result of the author's extensive field experience combined with academic insight.
This is a must-read for anyone seeking a new perspective on humanity and society through the lens of the genome.

We now stand at a new turning point in human evolution.
This is the era of Homo intelligence, the era of humans evolving based on information.
This book presents a hypothetical scientific name in Latin form: Homo intellectus.
This means 'human of intelligence', and refers to a future human based on information and intelligence that goes beyond the existing Homo sapiens formed by natural selection.

--- p.36

“Are we really pure Homo sapiens?” Modern genome sequencing technology has revealed a surprising truth.
Our DNA contains some of the genes of other, already extinct human species, or 'others'.
Those other people are Neanderthals and Denisovans.
--- p.41

AI is evolving into non-biological entities that mimic genetic traits, without DNA, but can reconfigure themselves, propagate information, and evolve through error.
We are now witnessing the possibility of information life forms that go beyond AI as a mere tool and enable continuous self-replication and evolution.
In particular, through evolutionary algorithms, self-replicating code, and the genealogical hierarchical structure of intelligent agents, AI is increasingly resembling biological concepts of genetic patterns.
These flows suggest that the process by which information organizes itself, reproduces itself, and creates meaning may itself be a new form of life.
--- p.66

The reason DNA became the primary information repository of life is not by chance but by necessity.
(…) DNA is not just a molecule, it is the language of life information.
This language is nature's optimal design, satisfying all the conditions of efficiency, replicability, and evolvability.
--- p.110

Korea is a rare country that has experienced industrialization, democratization, and digitalization all within 50 years.
In this process of compressed growth, Koreans have constantly adapted to change and created new values ​​and narratives.
K-culture is the culmination of this "information-adapted evolution laboratory." BTS, "Squid Game," kimchi, Hangul, webtoons, chicken and beer...
All of this is not a mere fad, but a Korean "cultural gene" that has resonated with people around the world through the combination of information and the refinement of emotions.
What's even more interesting is that this culture isn't being created by the masses, but rather by a small group of young people, growing accidentally, like the outgrowth of a neuron, in an evolutionarily advantageous direction.
--- p.272

We now live in a society where survival and reproduction are not easy.
Instead of being pessimistic or denying that reality, it is time to read the signals our genes are sending and respond socially.
Mental health, birth rates, and happiness are not separate issues.
Only when we understand these issues in an integrated manner can we get closer to finding true solutions for a healthier society.
(…) We now need social wisdom to follow the path that our genes tell us, rather than ignoring their voice.
Science is not just a tool for analyzing causes.
Based on that cause, it can become a compass to create a more humane society.
It's time for us to look at the issues of birth rates, mental health, and high suicide rates with a new compass.
--- p.285

We are now entering the era of AI, which can be said to be the greatest turning point in human history.
Rather than viewing this massive trend as a simple technological innovation, I wanted to interpret it through the lens of genes. Our DNA contains traces of our past, our present, and even the possibilities of our future.
I wrote this book in the hope that it would help us navigate the AI ​​era using the compass called “genes.”
--- From "Author Interview"

DNA is the blueprint of our existence and the blueprint of our destiny.
But it is not an absolute framework that determines everything about us.
Our lives are constantly being adjusted and rewritten by epigenetic changes, environment, lifestyle, and free will choices.
Genes are just the starting point, and the path ahead is created anew by how we live.
The most profound self-understanding that we must realize through our genetic information is, “I am a product of my genes, but at the same time, I am a being who can rewrite my future.
“One small choice of mine can change myself and, by extension, the lives of all of humanity.”

--- From "Author Interview"

AI will become another intelligence capable of reading and interpreting DNA. Just as AI understands human language, I believe it will interpret and predict our genetic code, creating a digital twin in the virtual world that integrates our genetic makeup, epigenetics, and even lifestyle habits.
That digital twin will become another "me," showing me my future and helping me make choices. When AI and DNA meet, humanity will reinvent itself.
(…) Individuals or species that resisted change eventually became extinct or degenerated. If we embrace AI and adapt well, we will evolve into "Homo Intelligence."
Whether I will be reborn as a new human race or fall behind and disappear depends on my choice and will.
--- From "Author Interview"

The past 70 years of South Korea are a microcosm of human evolution, a time when people thrived without fear of challenges.
Of course, many side effects and problems were revealed.
Nevertheless, Koreans have transformed themselves faster than any other people, embraced globalization, and created K-DNA, reaching where they are today.
Writing this article has given me renewed confidence that Korea is a nation that will pioneer new paths in the AI ​​era.

--- From "Author Interview"

Think Outside the Box! People who aren't afraid to try new things are often called weirdos, but they've always changed the world.
Don't settle for the comfort of the present.
Step into the unknown without fear.
That is the greatest characteristic of humans.
Human history has repeated periods of stability and great transformation, and now we stand at a time of great transformation called AI.
Listen to the compass voice of your DNA.
Don't be afraid and follow the path.

--- From "Author Interview"