Kim Woongsik is one of the most versatile percussionists. Most drummers in Korea specialize in one particular style such as sanjo or pansori accompaniment, percussion ensemble, folk style, or classical style, but Kim is uniquely fluent and proficient in multiple styles, including contemporary crossover styles. He is one of the most sought after sanjo accompanists and performers of new compositions by both Korean traditional style and Western style composers. Kim has been an active member of the ‘CMEK’ since 2003, a group known to frequently collaborate with Western composers and performers.

He has also been a member of the renowned creative world music group ‘PURI’ since 1995. All four current members of the group were taught by Kim Yongbae, one of the original members of the Kim Duksoo samulnori team. The puri group led by the composer Won Il takes the rhythmic elementalization achieved by samulnori a step further and also continually investigates ways to create traditional music based expression and ways to achieve Koreanistic improvisation idiomatic with contemporary Korean culture.

Kim Woongsik started out as a Korean classical voice major at the National Korean Traditional Music High School, but after encountering samulnori, he switched his major to percussion and studied at the Danguk University, where he currently teaches. Kim concertizes close to 100times a year, and since his first international concert tour of 1989, he has appeared in over 200 overseas performances in North America, Europe, the middle East, and Asia. He has also performed numerous times with the Traditional Orchestra of the KBS and frequently appears in various TV and Radio broadcasts of performance.