24th Annual Korean Language Writing Contest for International Students and Residents

—Themes of “Door” and “First”

On October 7, the annual Korean Language Writing Contest for international students and residents was held on the Sinchon Campus. Along with Yonsei, the National Security Foreign Language University in the United States and Xian Dong University in China were hosts. The competition was established to promote the use of Hangul, the Korean alphabet, and to encourage people from all over the world to study the Korean language. This year’s writing contest marked the 568th anniversary of the creation of Hangul.

The theme for the Poetry Writing category was “Door,” and that for Essay Writing was “First.” The welcoming address was given by Professor Yoo Hyun-gyoung, director of Language Research and Education, who said: “I hope this contest will be an occasion for global citizens to interact with each other through cultural and linguistic exchange.” Yonsei President Jeong Kap-young also provided words of encouragement: “There is a poem which says the autumn sky is so blue and clear that you can tap it with your finger nails. I hope you all will write creative and beautiful Korean today.”

Among the diverse group of participants was a Malaysian student who explained: “I started learning Korean from Malaysia. This writing contest can be found only here in Korea, so it feels like a special and unique cultural event. I participated today because this is a unique and special experience.” Another, from Spain, said: “I participated today to listen to others, not only to write my own piece. My Korean listening skills will hopefully improve via this occasion.”