Do-ol

Kim Yong-ok was born June 14, 1948, in Cheonan.^[2]

Once a leading professor of the Oriental Classics at Korea University, Kim became a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, a playwright and movie-director, and is now professor emeritus of Chung-ang University. He lectures on KBS TV on his modern interpretations of classical Daoism (Lao-tzu), the Analects of Confucius, and Zen Buddhism (the Diamond Sutra).^[3]

Kim graduated from Korea University with a bachelor's degree in philosophy. He received master's degrees at both the National Taiwan University and the University of Tokyo. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University, his paper being about Wang Fuzhi. He also received a Doctor of Oriental Medicine from Wonkwang University.^[4]

In June 2019, Kim was sued for defamation by the family of former president Syngman Rhee for his speeches on his talk show Do-ol Ah-in Going All Directions, where he allegedly called Rhee a puppet of the United States and the Soviet Union who was responsible for the Division of Korea and the mass murder of Jeju people in the Jeju Uprising.^[5]

Kim has one daughter, Miru Kim, who works as an artist, photographer, and arts events coordinator.

• Miru Kim