—2,441 Participants Represent 83 Countries

On October 6, just ahead of Hangul Proclamation Day, the Korean Language Institute (KLI) held the twenty-third Korean Language Writing Contest.  Established in 1992, the Writing Contest is designed to encourage non-native speakers to appreciate the elegance and beauty of the Korean language.

This year, 2,441 participants, representing eighty-three different countries, gathered in the outdoor amphitheater on the Sinchon Campus.  The KLI widely promoted the contest, attracting international students, overseas Koreans, international workers, and immigrants to this country.  The contest included a poetry section and an essay section, with the former’s theme “sea” and the latter’s “name.”

The first place for poetry went to Yan Bin, a Chinese student who is studying Korean language at Seoul Women’s University, while the top essay was written by a Mongolian student,

Yanjinklnham, who is currently enrolled at the University of Incheon.  Both winners were awarded a trophy and cash prize of 700,000 won.  There were an additional sixty-nine participants who received recognition for their writing, receiving cash prizes and/or trophies.