Iljung Kim is a composer and ethnomusicologist specializing in Korean music. His research focuses on beompae, a Korean Buddhist chant, especially the contemporary practice of the long-standing tradition.
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Before pursuing his passion for ethnomusicology, he studied Korean-style composition under Kim Daeseong, Kim SngKn, Park Beomhun, and Kang Joonil. His compositions won various awards, including the grand prize for the Korean Classical Music Composition Festival in 2007. He also composed many gugak children’s songs, believing that the future of our tradition depended on our children. His experience working with TV programs led him to study film scoring at New York University, which broadened his musical horizon. He composed the soundtrack for Mr. & Mrs. Kim (2016), directed by Jaehuen Chung.
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He is now a proud member of the ethnomusicology program at UBC School of Music. He is excited to pursue his career in an egalitarian academic field, surrounded by amazing artists/scholars of diverse backgrounds. He has been a long-time member of Gamelan Gita Asmara (dir. Michael Tenzer).
EDUCATION
2016- PhD Candidate, Ethnomusicology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Dissertation: Beompae: Korean Buddhist Chant and Its Adaptability in Contemporary Practice.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Nathan Hesselink.
2015 Master of Music, Scoring for Film and Multimedia, NYU Steinhardt, New York, U.S.A.
Studied under Ira Newborn, Michael Patterson and Paul Chihara.
2011 Master of Music, Korean Music Composition, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
Thesis: An Analysis on “Yeorimeul Neomeoseo.”
Supervisor: Dr. Oh Yongrok
2006 B.A. Composition, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.
Major: Creative Composition in Korean Traditional Music.
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PUBLICATIONS
2021 “Urban Echoes: Buddhist Chant at Bongwon Monastery.” SEM Student News 17.1. ISSN 2578-4242.
2021 “A Study of Feminism and Womanism in Korean Hip-hop Songs by Female Rappers.” Journal Of World Popular Music 7(2): 228-249. ISSN 2052-4919.
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ACADEMIC PAPER PRESENTATIONS
2025 “Tonality of ‘Halhyang’: A Structural Analysis of the Korean Buddhist Ritual Song,” Analytical Approaches to World Music Special Topics Symposium (10/11).
2025 “Korean Buddhist Chant and Dance: Contemporary Meaning of Ancient Religious Tradition,” ICTMD 2025 48th World Conference, International Council for Traditional Music and Dance (1/11).
2023 “Thinking Outside the Box: Korean Buddhist Music beyond Rituals,” Perspectives on Contemporary Korea Conference 2023 The Creative and Transformative Spirit of Korean Music, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA (11/9).
2023 “Beompae Evolving: The Contemporary Practice of Ancient Religious Tradition,” Society of Ethnomusicology 68th Annual Meeting, Ottawa, Canada (10/19).
2023 “Beyond Ritual: The Popularization of Buddhist Music in Korea,” Association for Asian Studies, Boston, USA (3/18).
2023 “The Popularization of Buddhist Music in Korea,” Annual Meeting for the Society of Ethnomusicology Northwest Chapter, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada (3/4).
2022 “A Hybrid Notation System for Beompae: A Study of Transcription Methods for Korean Buddhist Chant,” International Musicology Society Regional Association for East Asia IMSEA 2022 (10/22).
2022 “Dancing Buddhist Priests,” ICTM 2022 46th World Conference, International Council for Traditional Music (7/27).
2022 “From Unpretty Rapstar to Good Girl: Shifting Gender Representations in Contemporary K-pop Culture,” IASPM XXI 2022 Climates of Popular Music, International Association for the Study of Popular Music (7/7).
2022 “(Re-)Presenting Korean Buddhist Chant: A New Hybrid Notation System,” Musics of East Asia Study Group 7th Symposium, International Council for Traditional Music (5/15).
2021 “A Case Study of Sasipgujae Conducted at Bongwon Monastery,” Meeting of the Northwest Chapter of the Society of Ethnomusicology (2/27).
2019 “A Study of Feminism and Womanism in Korean Hip-hop Songs by Female Rappers,” Korean Hip-hop and New Exploration of Afro-Asian Identity Conference, University of California Irvine, Irvine, USA (10/7).
2019 “A Comparative Analysis of Interpretive Approaches in The Interpretation of Culture and Radical Traditions,” Annual Meeting for the Society of Ethnomusicology Northwest Chapter, University of Washington, Seattle, USA (3/2).
2018 “Investigating the Oral Transmission of Beompae in Contemporary Korea: A Case Study at the Okchun Buddhist Music School,” International Council of Traditional Music Study Group Musics of East Asia, National Gugak Center and Korean Musicological Society, Seoul, Korea (8/21).
2018 “Understanding Temporal Structure of Gagok Performance: Study of Periodicity in Ujo Chosudaeyeop,” Analytical Approaches to World Music, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece (6/28).
2018 “Visualizing the Temporal Structure of Korean Gagok Performance,” Northwest Chapter of the Society of Ethnomusicology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, USA (3/3).
2015 “Seeing is hearing: Voyeurism and Music in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window,” Music and the Moving Image IX Conference, New York University, New York, USA (5/31).
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AWARDS / FELLOWSHIPS
2023 Student Travel Prize, Association for Korean Music Research.
2021 Graduate Covid Program Delay Tuition Award, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
2020-21 Visiting Fellow Student, International Center for Korean Studies, Seoul National University, Kyujanggak Institute, Seoul.
2018 Graduate Student Research-Travel Grant, Centre for Korean Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
2020-25 President’s Academic Excellence Initiative PhD Award, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
2016-25 International Tuition Award, University of British Columbia Graduate and Post Doctoral Studies, Vancouver.
2016-20 Four Year Fellowships for PhD Students, University of British Columbia Graduate and Post Doctoral Studies, Vancouver.
2016-20 Four Year Fellowships Tuition Award, University of British Columbia Graduate and Post Doctoral Studies, Vancouver.
2010 Selected for 2010 Signal Music Contest, “A Path on Rice Field,” “Bird Ensemble,” “Welcoming Morning,” National Gugak Center, Seoul.
2009 Main Competition Award of Korean Children’s Song Competition, “Norihaja,” Korea Broadcasting System (KBS TV) and National Gugak Center, Seoul.
2007 The Grand Prize for Korean Classical Music Composition Festival, “A Pine Tree on Mt. Ahn,” Korean Traditional Music Association, Seoul.
2005 Innovation Award for Creative Gugak Category of National Theater Composition Competition, “The Daughter of Sun,” National Theater of Korea, Seoul.
2005 Chung-Ang University Student Fellowship for Academic Excellence (Top of the class).
SPECIAL LECTURES
2026 Guest Lecture, “Womanism and Feminism in Korean Hip-hop / Contemporary Movement in Korean Traditional Music,” University of British Columbia (2/24).
2023 Guest Lecture, “Outliers in K-pop: Korean Female Hip Hop Artists,” Pusan National University (11/23).
2019 Special Lecture, “Film Scoring in a Nutshell,” Seoul National University (12/5).
2019 Special Lecture, “Korean Indie Music Then and Now,” University of British Columbia (3/21).
2018 Presentation, “Investigating the Oral Transmission of Beompae in Contemporary Korea: A Case Study at the Okchun Buddhist Music School & Further Thoughts on Fieldwork,” UBC Music Friday Colloquium Series (9/14).
2017-8 Special Lecture, “Korean Popular Music at the Turn of the Century,” University of British Columbia (9/21/17, 2/13/18).
EMPLOYMENT
2017 Teaching Assistant, UBC ASIA 327-921 Korean Popular Music in Context (Instructor: Dr. CedarBough Saeji).
2016-9 Research Assistant, UBC Centre for Korean Research (Director: Dr. Kyung-Ae Park, Dr. Ross King).
MEMBERSHIPS
2023- Member, Association for Asian Studies (AAS).
2022- Member, International Association for the Study of Popular Music (IASPM)
2018- Member, Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM).
2018- Member, International Council for Traditional Music and Dance (ICTMD).
2018- Member, Association of Korean Music Research (AKMR).
EXPERIENCES
2016- Member, Gamelan Gita Asmara Community Group (Director: Michael Tenzer).
2016 Composer, American Film Institute Masters Thesis Film: Mr. and Mrs. Kim (Directed by Jaehuen Jung).
2015 Intern, 2015 NYU/ASCAP Foundation Film Scoring Workshop, Assistant to Profs. Ira Newborn and Paul Chihara.
2013 Establishment Member, Music Composition Project BAL.
2012 Album Director, Woori Children’s Song vol. 14, Kumseong Records.
2011 Theme Composer, TV Series: Chungyong Taste of Human, Education Broadcasting System (EBS TV).
2010 Member of Operating Committee, Korean Dongyo (children’s music) Composers Association.
2007 Intern, Tongyeong International Music Festival, Translator for Mr. Walter Grimmer.
2006 Theme Composer, TV Series: Dool’s Philosophy Class for Nonsul Generation, Education Broadcasting System (EBS TV).
2003-6 Member of National Korean Youth Orchestra, Percussionist and the part leader.
COMPOSITION PERFORMANCES
2013 “A Good-Bye Song,” The 2nd Annual Graduate Concert, Seoul National University College of Music (12/31).
2013 “A Good-Bye Song,” “In the Midst of Misty Rain,” A Footstep of Pansori, Music Composition Project BAL, Bukchon Changwoo Theater Invitational Concert (5/29).
LIST OF RECORDINGS
2012 “Norihaja,” “Art Class,” Woori Children’s Song vol. 14, Kumseong Records.
2011 “Welcome, spring,” Woori Children’s Song vol. 13, Kumseong Records.
2010 “Mother’s Lullaby,” Woori Children’s Song vol. 12, Kumseong Records.
2009 “Norihaja,” 2009 Gugak Dongyoje, National Gugak Center.
2007 “A Pine Tree on Mt. Ahn,” 2007 Korean Classical Music Composition Festival Live Album, LEE&C communication.
LANGUAGES / PROGRAM SKILLS / ETC
English / Korean (Native); Chinese (Fluent, HSK Level IV); Logic/ProTools/Sibelius/Finale (Proficient);
Completed Instructional Skills Workshop, UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology (5/21-28, 2017);
A dual citizenship holder (Korea and USA); have fulfilled the Korean military service duty.