Jungyoon Kim: Alternative Nature: What is 'natural'?

Jungyoon Kim is the founding principal of PARKKIM, Seoul-based landscape architectural firm, and the Design Critic in Landscape Architecture at Harvard GSD. She founded the firm with Yoon-Jin Park in Rotterdam, upon their winning of Taiwan Chichi Earthquake Memorial Design Competition (2004), and completed projects with diverse scale and nature, ranging from corporate landscape to civic venue, including Yanghwa Riverfront (2011), CJ Blossom Park (2015), SBS Prism Tower (2012) and Triple Street Shopping Mall (2016). Current ongoing projects include the Plaza of Gyeonggi Provincial North Office, and Hyundai Motors Training Facility. PARKKIM's works have been recognized by contemporary design professionals and thinkers. The two principals were invited for lectures and talks by prestigious institutions such as Harvard University, University of Melbourne, Smith College, and Landscape Australia Conference.

Kim and Park published a book ‘Alternative Nature (2016)', the compilation of articles written by them in various media since 2001. The term ‘alternative nature' was first presented at their essay ‘Gangnam Alternative Nature: the experience of nature without parks', published in the book ‘Asian Alterity (ed. William Lim, Singapore: 2007)', rethinking the concept of ‘what is natural?' within the context of contemporary East Asian urbanism.

Kim was selected as the ‘Design Leader of Next Generation (2007)’ awarded by the Korean Ministry of Commerce and appointed to ‘Seoul Public Architect (2011)' by the Metropolitan Government Seoul. She taught at Wageningen University and Seoul National University, and was honorably appointed to the Glimcher Distinguished Visiting Professor by Knowlton School of Architecture, Ohio State University (2011).

Kim received Master of Landscape Architecture from the Harvard GSD and Bachelor of Agriculture from Seoul National University with distinction.