Suk-Young Kim
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Suk-Young Kim | |
|---|---|
| Spouse | Michael Berry |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards |
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| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | |
| Thesis | Syncretism in Nikolai Gogol's Ukrainian Stories (2001) |
| Academic work | |
| Sub-discipline | Korean cultural history |
| Institutions | |
Suk-Young Kim (Korean: 김숙영) is a South Korean academic based in the United States who specializes in Korean cultural history. She is a professor at UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.[1] She won the 2013 James B. Palais Book Prize for her book Illusive Utopia and is a 2025 Guggenheim Fellow.
Raised in South Korea, Kim spent some time in Soviet Russia; the then-socialist nature of the country inspired her to study North Korean theatre.[2] After obtaining her BA in Russian language and literature (1993) and MA in Russian literature (1995) from Korea University, she obtained two doctorates: one in Slavic languages and literature from the University of Illinois Chicago (2001) and a second one in interdisciplinary theatre and drama from Northwestern University (2005).[3] Her doctoral dissertations were titled Syncretism in Nikolai Gogol's Ukrainian Stories and Revolutionizing the Family: A Comparative Study on the Filmed Propaganda Performances of the People’s Republic of China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (1966-1976).[3]
Kim spent one year as an assistant professor at Dartmouth College (2004–2005),[3] moving out after one year.[4] She began working at University of California, Santa Barbara in 2005, being promoted to associate professor in 2009 and full professor in 2013,[1][3] She also serves as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and External Engagement at UCLA, as well as Head of Theater and Performance Studies.[1]
Kim specializes in Korean cultural history, both North and South.[1] She co-created a memoir named Long Road Home with its author Kim Yong, released in 2012.[5] She won the 2013 James B. Palais Book Prize for her 2010 book Illusive Utopia,[6] as well as the 2015 ATHE Outstanding Book award for her book DMZ Crossing.[7] She later authored K-Pop Live (2019), Surviving Squid Game (2023), and Millennial North Korea (2024).[1] In 2025, she was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in Theatre Arts & Performance Studies.[8] She is editor of The Cambridge Companion to K-Pop (2023),[9] as well as co-editor for the Critical Voices from East Asia series from Columbia University Press.[1]
Kim is part of the Hong Kong Research Grants Council.[1] She was a judge at the 2023 MAMA Awards.[1]
Kim is married to film scholar Michael Berry and they have two children.[10][11] She also has a brother and sister.[10]
