The Korean Association for Play Therapy was established in 1997 as the first association in the field of play therapy in Korea.

The foundation of the association was the “Play Therapy Research Association,” which was launched in 1987. The “Play Therapy Research Association,” founded by the late Professor Jung-il Ju and her students, laid the foundation for the establishment of the current association after systematically establishing academic research and clinical training on play therapy for about 10 years with various related experts.

The late Professor Jung-il Ju rooted the children's studies in Korea by establishing the Department of Child Welfare at Sookmyung Women's University in 1972 for the first time in Korea, and is a pioneer who first planted the seeds of play therapy in the barren Korean landscape. In 1975, Sookmyung Women's University opened a course called play therapy for the first time in Korea, opened a play therapy room at Sookmyung Nursery School for the first time in Korea, and applied it to clinical practice. Her translation and publication of “Dibs : in search of self” played a major role in introducing play therapy to Korea. In addition, she established the Wonkwang Children's Counseling Center (now Wonkwang Children's Counseling Institute), Korea's first private institution specializing in play therapy, and contributed greatly to establishing play therapy as a representative approach to child psychological treatment. A great turning point was prepared toward healing children’s wounds and providing new hopes. In addition, with the founding of the Play Therapy Research Association in 1987 and serving as its president, she established strong roots based on play therapy and laid the foundation for the birth of the Korean Society for Play Therapy.

The Korean Association for Play Therapy(KAPT) has been dedicated to promoting the academic development of the play therapy field in accordance with the will of the late Professor Jung-il JU, and have been trying to fulfill its social responsibility for play therapist training by systematically and strictly conducting professional training for clinical practice.

As a result, KAPT has grown into a prominent society with the highest authority and honor in the field of play therapy in Korea. Our association will continue to strive for continuous development as a society that maintains its founding purpose, authority and honor, and fulfills its social responsibilities.