Dong-kyun Kim(left), a flutist who is the first student with developmental disabilities to enter Korea National University of Arts, makes it to the semi-finals at the Singapore Woodwinds Competition / Provided by the Heart to Heart Foundation

"Mom, I didn't tremble, I didn't tremble, I did well."

A 21-year-old young man says like a child after his performance. His 49-year-old mother cuddles him tightly. "My son, I'm so proud of you. You did great."

A few days ago, Eun-hee Sung, who was looking over the window of a performance room at the National University of Singapore School of Music, was distraught. In the performance room, her son Dong-kyun Kim in a black shirt and pants stood in front of three judges with his flute. He played Bach's' "Partita 3" and Francis' "Divertimento No.1" for about seven minutes. His mother was tearing when she embraced her son after he finished playing. "I am so proud that he has come all the way to Singapore to compete with regular musicians. I feel like I've been rewarded for all the hardships I've been through."

Her son is a junior at the Korea National University of Arts. He is the first person with a developmental disability to enter this school full of gifted artists. He reached the semifinals at the Singapore Woodwind Festival Competition held this day. He is the first disabled participant and finals player of this competition which started in 2010. It is a competition to find winners in eight categories such as the flute and saxophone, and a total of 200 people from each country entered in the Junior and Adult divisions. In April of last year, 7 participants were chosen as finalists in the Flute Adult Division after an evaluation of recordings of the designated song and onsite preliminaries.

Their son, the first child, did not know how to call out "Mom" or "Dad" for over two years after birth. He did not even meet eyes with his mother. On the day he was diagnosed with autism, his mother beat her chest, crying out, "Why has this happened to me?" The couple decided not to have any more children but to raise their son with care. Kim's mother spent each day as a speech therapist, exercise therapist, and music therapist for her son.

When her son was in first grade of middle school, Sung heard that an orchestra would be made for people with developmental disorders, and took her son there. That changed the life of her son. He would say "I like the glittering flute," and became enthusiastic about learning how to play it. "It was the first time my son's life that he made friends," said Sung. One year later, her son said, "I am going to go to Korea National University of Arts. I can do it. I can make it." Then he started practicing the flute for five hours every day.

Four years ago, the couple bought a flute worth tens of thousands of won for their son. It is a large sum for this family who lives in a rental housing apartment and runs a flower shop. And as if in reward, the son received awards in succession at national conventions and succeeded in entering the university he promised he would two years ago. "I'm sorry, Mom, I'm sorry," said her son, who did not make it to the finals in Singapore. His mother soothed him, saying "Don't be sorry. I know you've given it your all."