Kyung Mee Kim

Kyung Mee Kim is a Professor in the Department of Social Welfare at Soongsil University's College of Social Sciences in Seoul, Republic of Korea. She has established herself as a leading researcher in disability studies and social welfare policy in South Korea, with particular expertise in intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Professor Kim earned her M.A. in Social Work from Ewha Womans University in Seoul and completed her Ph.D. in Social Welfare from the University of Kansas, USA. Her academic journey includes prestigious appointments as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the Institute on Community Living, University of Minnesota and a Visiting Scholar at the Research and Training Center on Independent Living, University of Kansas.

Her research program explores the experiences of people with intellectual, developmental, physical, and health-related disabilities, examining practice and policy to promote holistic, strengths-based, independent living approaches in the disability field. She has made significant contributions to understanding meaning-making in relation to health challenges and the role of spiritual diversity in Korean social welfare. Professor Kim's work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical applications, focusing on social inclusion, deinstitutionalization, and the development of support systems for people with disabilities across the lifespan.

Professor Kim has demonstrated remarkable research productivity with over 80 refereed articles (40+ in Korean journals and 40+ in international journals), in addition to numerous book chapters and research reports. Her work spans diverse methodologies including quantitative population studies, qualitative investigations, and mixed-methods approaches.

As an active research leader, Professor Kim has secured significant funding, having served as Principal Investigator or Co-PI for more than 20 funded projects. Her research has practical implications for social welfare policy and practice in South Korea and contributes to international discourse on disability rights and inclusion. She maintains active scholarly connections through platforms like ResearchGate and continues to publish cutting-edge research, with recent publications examining topics ranging from AI applications for elderly care to the experiences of middle-aged adults caring for siblings with disabilities.