Yoon Sook Park

Founder / President (1987-2014) Ms. Park's name is synonymous with Korean traditional arts in New York City having established KMTDI in 1987. Before immigrating to the US from Korea, she spent over 25 years studying Kayagum (traditional Korean string instrument), Pansori (Korean opera) and dance with many of Korea's leading artists. Her expertise lies in the style of the late Kayagum master, Yoo Dae Bong. Ms. Park has won numerous awards and performed in over 1,800 concerts all over Asia and the U.S. A career highlight was her solo recital at Carnegie Weill Recital Hall in 2004. Ms. Park is also very passionate about spreading the awareness and appreciation for Korean arts. As a result, she established the Korean American Traditional Art Development Association in 2001, which hosts an on-going annual Korean Traditional Performing Art Competition.

Yu Sun Kang

President (2014-Present) Ms. Kang is a graduate of Queens College in Theater and Dance and has studied at the Manhattan School of Music. She has also studied under Yi Jo Lim, the leading dance figure in Korea today. Under him, she has mastered Seung Mu and Sal Puri, which represent the highest level of traditional Korean dance and have both been designated intangible cultural assets. Ms. Kang has performed and competed all over the world. She won 1st place at the 2002 Korean Traditional Music and Dance Competition in New York and the 2003 Namwon Chunhyang Competition in Korea, and won an award at the 2003 Junju Dae Sa Seup Nori National Competition in Korea. She has also won several beauty pageants including the New York Korea Times pageant in 2001.