2023 Global Korea Award Recipient

Lucy Park, M.D.,(박종희) is a co-founder of the Sejong Cultural Society, a non-profit organization based in Chicago that was established in 2004 with the mission of fostering awareness and appreciation of Korean cultural heritage throughout the United States. As the Executive Director, she has played a pivotal role in developing innovative programs that utilize music and literature to achieve the goals of the Sejong Cultural Society. Her responsibilities encompass overseeing all programs, including the Sejong Music Competition, Sejong Writing Competition, and Sijo education initiatives. Park has actively taught the art of sijo to educators, students, and adults across the United States.

She was also the co-editor of the book "SIJO: Korea's Poetry Form," published in 2022. This comprehensive reference book is the ultimate reference for those interested in learning and teaching about sijo writing in English. This book was honored with the prestigious 2023 Franklin Buchanan Prize from the Association for Asian Studies for its exceptional instructional value. In acknowledgment of the remarkable achievements spanning the past two decades, The Sejong Cultural Society was honored with the Presidential Commendation of the Sejong Cultural Award by the South Korean government in 2022.

In addition to her contributions to the Sejong Cultural Society, she has held a faculty position at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine for thirty-two years. Her expertise is in pediatric allergy, immunology, and pulmonology. She earned her M.D. degree from Seoul National University in Korea and received post-graduate training in the USA.