He is an architect and designer, a professor at Kookmin University’s College of Architecture, and has specialized in architecture and Seon (Zen) philosophy. He has been working on architectural planning and design, painting and writing with ideas that cross over from Korean tradition and Seon thought to contemporary aesthetics. He has published books on Eastern architectural aesthetics such as “Architecture of Ming Ming” and “Lao Tzu and the Idea of Spatial Formation” and papers on the aesthetics of contemporary architecture. His representative buildings include Iham Campus, Gyeongju Dongguk University Seon Center, One Room House, Museum Myeongwon at the Kookmin University, and Gunmyungwon. He has been honored with the Red Dot Design Award, the Korean Institute of Architects Award, the Korea Design Award, and the Outstanding Book of the Year Award by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Born in 1943, he attained enlightenment at Beomeosa Temple in Busan in 1960 and passed away in 2006. Since the 1970s, he has been widely capturing Korean temples and nature in his photographs. He has held numerous solo exhibitions, including the Seoul Asian Games Celebration Photo Exhibition and Olympic Celebration Exhibition, as well as overseas exhibitions in Los Angeles, Toronto, and Chicago. His collections of works include Sangha 1–2, Nirvana, Sumidan, Main Buddha Hall, Life, Death, and Reincarnation, Temple Flower Lattice, and Landscape of Nim. His co-authored works include Architectural Masterpieces, and Places to Visit, Places to Stay.