Kim Jong-rae, a doctoral student in the Department of Landscape Architecture (supervisor: Professor Kim Jeong-mun), has been selected for the National Research Foundation of Korea's '2026 Doctoral Student Research Encouragement Program in the Humanities and Social Sciences'.

The program supports creative and challenging research by doctoral students at domestic graduate schools that is linked to their dissertations, fostering outstanding next-generation scholars. Selected researchers will receive research funding totaling KRW 40 million over two years.

Kim will carry out 'A Study on Group Differences in Nighttime Safety Perceptions of Urban Parks.' The study will classify safety perception types among nighttime park users and analyze group differences by gender, age group, and usage behavior, as well as the effects of physical, social, and management factors on nighttime safety and their structural relationships. Through this work, the research aims to identify nighttime safety requirements for different user groups and to provide foundational data for the design and management of inclusive urban parks that all users can safely enjoy.

Kim said, 'I aim to create an inclusive urban environment where everyone can safely enjoy the green benefits provided by urban parks at night. I am grateful to my supervisor for carefully guiding the research, and I will develop it into a study that is useful for actual park design and management.'

Professor Kim Jeong-mun, the supervisor, said, 'I hope this research broadens understanding of nighttime park safety from the perspective of different user groups and provides practical evidence that can be used in future park design and management. I also hope it leads to the creation of an inclusive urban environment where everyone can safely enjoy the benefits of urban parks at night.'