Korean National University of Art

Korea National University of Arts was established in 1993 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea as the only national university of arts with an aim to serve as a leading institution which cultivates artists

Korea National University of Arts (K-ARTS) is a only arts major national university in Seoul, South Korea.

Korea National University of Arts was established by law in 1993. In 1990, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Korea announced a 'Ten-Year Project for the Cultural Development,' and the foundation of a national arts institution was the crucial provision of this project. Until the early 1980s, in Korea, there was no specialized university that devoted its entire curriculum to artistic endeavors. Therefore, many budding artists who wanted to continue their artistic search through professional trainings went abroad. The announcement of the foundation of the national university of arts in 1993 was thus the revelation and manifestation of artistic prosperity in Korea. It is the only national university in Asia dedicated exclusively to preparing talented young artists for the professions of all artistic genres. Korea National University of Arts encompasses all disciplines of arts including music, dance, theatre, film, TV, animation, fine art, design, architecture, and Korean traditional arts.
The university consists of six independent but correlative schools: the School of Music, the School of Drama, the School of Film, TV & Multimedia, the School of Dance, the School of Visual Arts, and the School of Korean Traditional Arts. K-ARTS offers Bachelor's and Master's degree program while providing pre-school training program for promising young students. As of 2003, students enrolled in K-ARTS are about 2600, and more than 730 professors and lecturers are teaching in the newest studios and classrooms.

Academics

Programs

• Bachelor's Program
• Master's Program
• Artistic performance Training Programs (Prep School)
• Talented Artists Education System

Schools and departments

• School of Drama
  • Department of Acting, Department of Directing, Department of Playwriting, Department of Stage Design, Department of Theatre Studies
• School of Dance
  • Department of Dance Performance, Department of Choreography, Department of Dance Theory, Department of Art Management
• School of Music
  • Department of Vocal Music, Department of Opera, Department of Lied and Oratorio, Department of Instrumental Music, Department of Composition, Department of Musical Technology, Department of Conducting, Department of Musicology
• School of Film, TV & Multimedia
  • Department of Film Making, Department of Cinema Studies, Department of Multimedia, Department of Animation, Department of Broadcasting
• School of Visual Arts
  • Department of Fine Art, Department of Design, Department of Architecture, Department of Art Theory
• School of Korean Traditional Arts
  • Department Of Traditional Arts Theory, Department Of Traditional Music, Department Of Traditional Dance, Department of Traditional Folk Theatrics
• Interschool Division
  • Arts Management, Creation of Narratives, Musicals

Achievements

For the first time for an Asian musician, Sunwook Kim, won one of the world's three top piano competitions, the Leeds International Piano Competition, in June 2006. After signing a contract with Askonas Holt, he performed with London Philharmonic.

Shin Hyeonsu won the Long-Thibaud International Competition for Violin in November 2008. She also received two special awards, including the Recital and Orchestra Award.

The three top prizes at the NY International Ballet Competition were awarded to K-Arts graduates. The New York Times reported "A contest for the World, led by South Koreans". The first prize winner, Ha Eunji, joined the Finnish National Ballet as the principal dancer.

The Department of Architecture joined RIBA, the Royal Institute of British Architects. For the first time for a university in a non-English speaking region, K-Arts received international certification from RIBA.

The Korean film, The Chaser, was screened out of competition in the Cannes Film Festival, and it received the Best Script Award in the PIFF as well as other awards from The Grand Bell Awards, The Blue Dragon Film Awards, The Baeksang Arts Awards, and others. The film's director, Na Hong-jin, the director of photography, Lee Seong-jae and the cinematographer, Lee Min-bok, are all K-Arts graduates.