K-Arts Staff Rally to Fundraise Student Scholarships, Symbolizing Genuine Support​

K-Arts Staff Rally to Raise 3 Million KRW for Student Scholarships Through Homemade Snack Sales In a heartwarming initiative, the dedicated staff of K-Arts collaborated to raise a total of 3 million KRW (approximately 2,500 USD), providing scholarships for eight deserving students. Their voluntary fundraising efforts centered around the sale of homemade snacks, featuring culinary delights such as Mianbaoxia (Chinese shrimp toast), Sujeonggwa (Korean traditional ginger and cinnamon tea), and fishball on a stick, ultimately contributing to the financial aid for six students. In addition to their initial fundraising success, the staff campaigned further, securing an additional 2 million KRW (approximately 1,500 USD) to benefit two more students. President Kim Daejin, alongside representatives of the K-Arts staff, presided over an awarding ceremony, showcasing a heartfelt and genuine commitment to nurturing promising talents. This benevolent tradition began the previous year when the staff awarded a 1 million KRW (approximately 750 USD) scholarship to two students. Notably, the staff union has consistently supported students, granting a cumulative total of 17 million KRW (approximately 13,000 USD) to 34 individuals since 2012. President Kim emphasized the profound significance of these fundraising, stating, "This financial support embodies the collective spirit of our staff. We aspire for our earnest contribution to serve as a meaningful aid to our exceptionally talented students on their journey towards realizing their dreams."

KNIGA Empowers Young Talents through Dream Ladder Scholarship Program​

 K-Arts Affiliated Institute, KNIGA, Empowers Young Talents through Dream Ladder Scholarship Program  From January 16 to 18, the Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts (KNIGA), affiliated with K-Arts, took the lead in organizing a winter camp as part of the Dream Ladder Scholarship program. This initiative, overseen by the Ministry of Education of South Korea, aims to address education inequality by identifying young talents early on and offering necessary support throughout their middle to high school years, ensuring accessibility to educational opportunities irrespective of financial circumstances. In collaboration with provincial and municipal education offices in 17 regions, the Ministry of Education selected scholarship beneficiaries. These scholarship winners were provided with training opportunities through KNIGA's mentoring program during the school year and a boot camp during vacations.For this education program, 13 K-Arts alumni, comprising 10 from the School of Music (Kim Hyeon-gu, Park Soyeon, Park Yunsol, Park Jihun, Bae Jiyun, Oh Jeongmin, Lee Hyeonhee, Lee Heechan, Lim Yeyeong, Jeong Dasol) and 3 from the School of Korean Traditional Arts (Kang Yeshin, Kim Bokyeong, Park Sojeong), have served as mentors for scholarship awardees over the past five years.Over the years, a total of 25 students, including 14 for the first batch and 11 for the second batch, have earned a professional training opportunity through the Dream Ladder Scholarship Program. In recognition of their efforts, KNIGA received appreciation from the Minister of Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education in November 2020 and the Minister of Education of South Korea in November 2021.Professor Lee Seongju, President of KNIGA, offered words of encouragement to the scholarship winners, expressing, "I hope that the experiences gained through the Dream Ladder Scholarship Program will serve as the foundation for you to pursue your dreams, regardless of your financial or regional circumstances." 

Park Sang-hyeok Clinches 2nd at Penderecki Cello Competition, Poland​

K-Arts Cellist Park Sang-hyeok Clinches Second Place at Prestigious Penderecki Cello Competition in Poland    Cellist Park Sang-hyeok, currently studying in the School of Music, placed second at the 4th Krysztof Penderecki International Cello Competition in Krakow, Poland. The Penderecki International Cello Competition is named after Krzysztof Penderecki (1933-2020), the world's prestigious composer and conductor from Poland. Founded in 2008, the event takes place every five years.  Park Sang-hyeok went to the final round with three other survivors from the semi-final round in which 42 candidates had competed. In the final round, Park co-performed with the Orchestra of the Capital Royal City of Krakow Sinfonietta Cracovia led by conductor Katarzyna Tomala-Jedynak. They played Penderecki’s Viola Concerto for Cello and Haydn's Cello Concerto No.2 in D Major Hob. VII b:2. Born in 2004, Park Sang-hyeok was admitted to the K-Arts as a gifted-in-arts student after completing the curriculum at the Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts (KNIGA). Ever since Park has studied with cellists Lee Kangho (current Dean of School of Music), Jang Hyungwon, and Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi. Park completed the Cello Masterclasses & Concerts at Kronberg Academy. Throughout his music career path, he was awarded a full scholarship by the International Academy of Music in Liechtenstein and the Grand Prize by Shinhan Music Awards. In 2023, he took 3rd in cello at the 2023 International Tchaikovsky Competition. His worldwide achievements include winning the 1st and Grand Prix in the David Popper International Cello Competition, 2nd in the International Cello Competition Antonio Janigro Junior, 1st in the Dong-A Junior Music Competition, and 1st in the JoongAng Music Concours. 

K-Arts Students Win Silver and Bronze at the USA IBC​

 K-Arts current students Lee Kangwon and Lee Yunju won medal honors at the 12th USA International Ballet Competition (USAIBC) in Jackson, Mississippi. Lee Kangwon, 18-year-old, earned a Silver in the male junior category and Lee Yunju, 19-year-old, received a Bronze in the senior female category after competition in three rounds of judged performances as well as a gala show over the two weeks.  Besides, four more current students of the School of Dance had opportunities to present their talents in the top stages, being named Kim Minjoo (20-year-old) as a finalist, and Ahn Eugine (19-year-old), Lee Taeheyon (20-year-old), Kwon Dohyun (20-year-old) in semi-finalists, respectively.   Considered as one of the world’s top competitions for ballet, USA IBC is held normally every four years in Olympic style, but delayed one year dur to the covid-19 pandemic. This year, 119 dancers representing 17 countries throughout the world has converged. 53 of the invited competitors are juniors, ages 15 to 18, and 68 are seniors, ages 19 to 28. Medals, company contracts, apprenticeships, scholarships and more than $200,000 in cash prizes will be awarded. All dancers who advance to Round 3 will receive a $1,500 stipend to off-set travel costs. 

Jeon Minchul and Kim Soo-min, School of Dance, Take 1st at the YAGP 2023​

 Jeon Minchul and Kim Soo-min, School of Dance, Take First at the YAGP 2023 in Pas Deux From 3 to 10 April at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) 2023 in Tampa, Florida, the United States, the current students of the School of Dance collected awards and elevated the prestige of the school. Jeon Minchul (18 years old, Department of Dance Performance) and Kim Soo-min (18 years old, Department of Dance Performance) became the winners in pas deux of the classical dance category. Also, Kim took 2nd place in the solo female senior division, and Jeon took 3rd in the solo male senior, both earning two prizes each. Kim won scholarships from John Cranko and Ballett Dortmund Germany. Jeon obtained scholarships from Ballett Dortmund Germany, Houston Ballet, European School of Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet School. The K-Arts also attained the Outstanding School Award at the YAGP 2023 for the second time after 2018, demonstrating the competence of ballet education in K-Arts once again on the global stage. Other than that, Lee Ye-eun (17 years old, Department of Dance Performance) and Lee Seungmin (18 years old, Department of Dance Performance) successfully made it to the Top 12. 

Opening Ceremony for the Academic Year 2023 Takes Place at K-Arts​

 Opening Ceremony for the Academic Year 2023, “Spring Up, Fly by Arts,” Takes Place at K-Arts The K-Arts hosted the first onsite entrance ceremony, “Spring Up, Fly by Arts,” 3 years after the COVID-19 pandemic. For the school year 2023, a total of 893 freshmen, including 564 for the bachelor’s degree, 314 for the master’s degree, and 15 AMA+ scholarship recipients come to the K-Arts. For a celebratory concert, the current students of the School of Music presented the Mendelssohn Octet for strings in E flat major op. 20. As music critic Sir George Grove regarded the piece as “mark[ing] the beginning of [Mendelssohn’s] maturity as a composer,” the performance intended to deliver a message wishing for the extraordinary leap and soaring of the new students. At the welcome speech, president Kim Daejin of K-Arts addressed, “A great teacher lights the passion in a student’s heart. I hope you embark on a zealous voyage with the teachers who will make your heart burn with passion. After making mistakes and overcoming failures countlessly in your artistic pursuit, you will eventually find yourself closer to being the original artist our time wants.” 

School of Music Presents 2022 Forte Festival​

 From Wednesday, 14 to 21 September, the School of Music presents the 2022 Forte Festival at the Lee Kang Sook Hall on the Seocho-dong campus. The 2022 Forte Festival is a music festival organized to showcase the originality of the School of Music while it was inspired by the five keywords, “FORTE,” announced by the president Kim Daejin of the K-Arts. In this event, about 180 faculty members with current and graduate students came together to present eight performances composed of various programs, encompassing the genres of chamber music, ensemble, voice, early music, orchestra, and others.  The festival began with the K-Arts Audition Final Round Concert, an on-campus audition to discover and fund the outstanding K-Arts students made up of the four winners of the 2022 K-Arts Audition School of Music at 19:00 on Wednesday, 14 September. The final winner earns the scholarship, funding, and opportunities to collaborate with overseas orchestras and perform at international competitions.  Followed by that, the professors, current and graduate students of the Department of Instrumental Music presented the following events: the K-Arts chamber music series at 19:30 on Thursday, 15 September, the K-Arts ensemble concert at 19:30 on Friday, 16 September, and the KNUA Baroque Symphony Orchestra’s performance at 19:30 on Saturday, 17 September, the Night of the Baroque Arias at 19:30 on Monday, 19 September, the KNUA recorder ensemble’s performance at noon on Tuesday, 20 September, and cellist Cho Hyunkun’s Baroque cello solo recital at 19:30 on Tuesday, 20 September. Overall, the Forte Festival is appraised for delivering to the audience the early musical genres that are not easily accessible in Korea. The KNUA Baroque Symphony Orchestra made the finale at 19:30 on Wednesday, 21 September. 

Director Park Ruslan’s Film, Three (2020), Gets Wide-Released in Kazakhstan​

 Director Park Ruslan’s Korean-Kazakh Joint Film, Three (2020), Gets Wide-Released in Kazakhstan On 31 March, a film, Three (2020), by filmmaker Park Ruslan was wide-released in Kazakhstan. Director Park completed his degree in filmmaking in the School of Film, TV & Multimedia upon receiving the scholarship of the AMA+ Scholarship Program offered by K-Arts.  It is the first time for a Korean-Kazakh joint film to be running on the screen in Kazakhstan. Also, it is the first time for a commercial film by the two countries to be running in theaters of the CIS countries, including Russia. Park Ruslan is a 4th generation Koryo-Saram, an ethnic Korean who immigrated to the post-Soviet states. The film finds a motif from a serial killing in the Soviet Union more than 40 years ago. While filming for a year, the staff traveled back and forth between Korea and Kazakhstan.  Earlier, the film received invitations to the 43rd Moscow International Film Festival and the 9th Muju Film Festival last year. At the Busan International Film Festival in October 2020, the film also won the New Currents Award, a prize to discover and encourage emerging talented directors in Asia.     

Anupam Tripathi, an AMA+ Scholarship Recipient, in the Netflix's 《Squid Game》​

  Actor Anupam Tripathi, an AMA+ Scholarship Recipient, Performs in a Netflix Drama Series, “Squid Game” Actor Anupam Tripathi, a current graduate student of the School of Drama, is rising to stardom with his role, Ali Abdul, in the Netflix drama series, the “Squid Game.”  Tripathi majors in Acting for his master’s degree after receiving his bachelor’s degree in the same major in the School of Drama through the Art Major Asian plus Scholarship Program (AMA+). The AMA+ is the academic program for developing and nurturing the talented in arts from developing countries. For the first time for a Korean drama series on Netflix, the “Squid Game” ranked the first in 14 countries, including the US, and ranked the top in 39 countries, including the UK, France, and Germany.  Tripathi from New Delhi, India, was admitted to the School of Drama in 2010 through the K-Arts scholarship program funded by the Korean government. He debuted with the film Ode to My Father (2014). Ever since, Tripati has gained public recognition through his roles in Asura: City of Madness (2016), Luck-Key (2016), and Space Sweepers (2021).  The AMA+ in K-Arts is the Korean government-funded scholarship program supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. Since 2005, it has had 309 graduates from 30 different countries. The numbers of them return to their hometown and now strive to expand the horizon of arts and culture as professors or emerging artists. 

K-Arts – King Sejong Institute Sign the MOU of Cooperation ​

 K-Arts – King Sejong Institute Sign the MOU to Preserve and Specialize the Korean Language and Cultures At 10 a.m. on 24 Sept. 21 (Fri.) at the meeting room in the Seokgwan campus, the K-Arts and King Sejong Institute signed the “MOU of Cooperation in Utilization of Sejong Korean Language Assessment (SKA) and Preservation and Specialization of the Korean Cultures.”  In the MOU, both parties agreed on (1) to share human and material resources of Korean language experts and art cultural education to realize high-quality Korean language and Korean cultural education around the world (2) to adopt the SKA, a Korean language proficiency test for foreigners developed by the King Sejong Institute, to select the international students in the admission process at the K-Arts (3) to seek for development and mutual support in promoting and specializing the Korean language and culture education through various means such as a joint operation of language courses online. Earlier, the K-Arts employed the SKA for selecting scholarship students for the Art Major Asian plus (AMA+) program of the academic year 2022.