Professor Kim Hee Sun of the College of Liberal Arts at Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul) received the ‘Nange Music Achievement Award’ at the ‘2025 Yeongdong World Traditional Music & Arts Expo’, which opened on September 12. The ‘Nange Music Achievement Award’ was established in 1997 to honor the achievements of Nangye Park Yeon, a musician from the early Joseon Dynasty. It is awarded to individuals who have contributed to the research, dissemination, and globalization of traditional music.

Professor Kim, who served as a researcher at the Asia Research Institute at the National University of Singapore before becoming a professor at Kookmin University, has been at the forefront of domestic and international research activities and performance content development connecting the globalization of traditional music with K-Culture and world music. She was also recognized for her contributions to the globalization of traditional music and enhancing its academic standing through roles such as Executive Committee Chair of the Jeonju Int'I Sori Festival and Chair of the East Asian Music Research Committee of the International Society for Traditional Music.

Recently, as the exhibition and music director for the Yeongdong World Traditional Music Expo, he spearheaded the event's planning direction under the goal “The Fragrance of Traditional Music, Coloring the World.” He is noted for leading efforts to position Korean music as a new cultural language for global communication and expanding traditional music beyond mere preservation into a global culture.

Professor Kim stated, “With K-Culture surging globally, now is the opportune moment for our music and culture to leap forward.” He added, “The linkage between academic research and the field will become increasingly vital. I will dedicate my full efforts to research and education so that students studying our culture can not only engage in research but also actively participate on the global stage.”