Young Ja Lee (b. 1931) is regarded as one of the most important living female composers in Korea. She leads and contributes to the Korean classical music society as a gifted composer and a dedicated educator. This study focuses on how she has combined Western compositional techniques with elements of Eastern traditional music in some of her compositions, in particular, her Variations pour piano "Umma ya, Nuna ya." An interpretation of her Variations pour piano "Umma ya, Nuna ya" reveals that the composition features many of the particular and sublime aspects of Western compositional techniques in conjunction with traditional Korean music style. This study is an investigation of the interaction and assimilation of these disparate elements. The results of this study may inspire further research into traditional Korean music and bring recognition to important Korean composers, as well as encourage music educators to teach Korean composers' compositions.

Younghi Pagh-Paan is a female Korean-German composer. Although being a prolific composer, she has only twice composed for piano solo. Pagh-Paan's Mich Drüstet (I Thirst) is a piano solo work and based on the tragedy in Korea, the Jeju 4.3 Incident in 1948. Even though the Jeju 4.3 incident triggered mora than 30,000 casualties, I Thirst is the only music to commemorate the incident, as commissioned by the pianist Kaya Han. This study of I Thirst highlights her musical textures for the piano and elements she employs to express her thoughts about the event; for instance, Korean musical element, 12-tone techniques, and counterpoint. In addition, it addresses the need for the pianist to have background information about Jeju Island and the Incident by matching images with musical sections in order to achieve a deeper interpretation of Pagh-Paan's piano composition.

Younghi Pagh-Paan is an internationally renowned contemporary Korean-German composer. While her music has been strongly influenced by German contemporary musical aesthetics, her compositions also possess Korean musical and cultural influences. In her works, Pagh-Paan employs Western instruments and musical languages that incorporate contemporary techniques such as vibratos, flatter tonguing, pitch bends, and legato glissandi. These effects are thought to imitate the sounds created by traditional Korean instruments. Man-Nam I, for clarinet and string trio, was the second work that Pagh-Paan composed following her move from Korea to Germany. The piece includes many sounds representative of traditional Korean instruments, along with significant symbolism of the sociological background, culture and history of Korean people. The study of Man-Nam I focuses on unraveling hidden elements of Korean traditional music and culture, and addresses the need for the performers to understand its rich Korean influences in order to reach a deeper interpretation of Pagh-Paan's work.