NIH Record - National Institutes of Health

BelongMed Showcases Korean Culture

Students in traditional dress play large, elaborately decorated drums.
A Nanta performance, "Korean Assorted Modem Buk," by Stepping Stones of Korean Culture & Art of MD is captured in mid beat. "Buk" is drum in Korean.

Photo:  Justin Baker

Male and female speakers stand back from a podium as they listen to an audience member speak off-camera.
David Yum (l) and Nancy Lee moderate a “Music as Medicine” session.

Photo:  Justin Baker

A woman in a white, flowered top and long pink skirt plays a long, wooden string instrument. It is balanced between her lap and a chair.
Gayageum performance by Gyeong Mi Cho, playing Gayageum Sanjo. The gayageum, a plucked zither developed in the sixth century, is a traditional Korean musical instrument.

Photo:  Justin Baker

Woman in a red top and white pants
K-pop dance by Haeun Song to the song Drama

Photo:  Justin Baker

Taekwondo students kneel mid-action during a demonstration. They wear white uniforms with black belts.
Members of Kong's Taekwondo Learning Center demonstrate the skill and discipline of the martial arts form.

Photo:  Justin Baker

Dark-haired woman speaks into a microphone mounted on a podium.
NCCIH's Dr. Wen Chen speaks at Music as Medicine.

Photo:  Justin Baker

Man in a dark blue suit and white shirt plays an electric guitar.
After South Korean guitarist and singer-songwriter Sehwang Kim shared his childhood background in music and spoke about his experience and motivation in K-Pop, he performed "Chasing the Moonlight" and "Love Story."

Photo:  Justin Baker

Dark-haired woman speaks at a podium. She is wearing a light blue sweater and orange necklace.
NIDCR Clinical Director Dr. Janice Lee opens the day-long celebration "BelongMed."

Photo:  Justin Baker

The NIH Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, the NIH Office of Technology Transfer and NIH’s chapter of the Korean-American Women in Science and Engineering (KWISE) recently hosted “BelongMed: Embrace Belonging in Biomedical Health Care,” a day-long celebration that featured scientific talks, networking and Korean food and culture in the Clinical Center (CC).

The event emphasized the importance of creating an inclusive environment where all individuals feel valued and integrated. It aimed to improve both patient care and the work culture within the biomedical field, fostering innovation across science, encouraging networking for career advancement, and supporting not only one another but also the entire workforce and patients at NIH.

The day’s agenda was a mini tour of Korean culture in the CC’s north atrium, with music, dance, a martial arts demonstration, calligraphy, cuisine sampling and more.

The event was part of NIH’s recognition of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) Heritage Month. The agency’s theme for the month, “Embracing Belonging,” highlighted contributions of the AA and NHPI community, which represents more than 20% of NIH’s permanent employee workforce.

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