WASHINGTON (Yonhap) ― The U.S. Senate has approved President Barack Obama’s nomination of a Korean-American professor to become a member of the National Council on the Arts to review the U.S. government’s policy and funding for cultural and artistic projects.

In May, Obama announced his choice of Emil J. Kang, the executive director for the arts and professor of the practice of music at the University of North Carolina, to be a member of the 14-person council.

Members of the Senate also revealed the confirmation of Kang on their official website on legislative information.

Kang, whose parents immigrated to the U.S., was born in 1968 in New York. His Korean parents wanted him to become a physician.

Embracing his love of the arts, however, Kang worked his way up to become president of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, making him the youngest and the first Asian-American to hold a top administrative post of a major symphony orchestra.

Besides his outstanding role in performing arts and academic fields, he is known for numerous local, state and national outreach efforts.

Kang told Yonhap earlier that he was “honored by the media attention in Korea.” He said he has extended family in Seoul and Daegu, about 300 km southeast of the South Korean capital.

“Obviously, my parents are very proud, which makes me happy,” he said.

But Kang refused to have a formal interview on his nomination and future role in the council, citing a need to consult with the White House before speaking to media on the issues.