Sungkyun Korean Writing Contest: Expressing Thoughts in Hangeul
What is the Sungkyun Korean Writing Contest?
On August 11th, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) held the 1st International Sungkyun Korean Writing Contest, in which international students compete using their Korean writing skills. This contest is based on the local contest called the Sungkyun Korean Writing Contest, which started in China in 2007. It has been held all over Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Europe. The purpose of this competition is to promote interest in and correct understanding of Korean culture and to give educational support to students who are studying Korean. There are two types of contests: the local contest, which determines winners in the region, and the global contest, where local winners gather and compete. The topic is presented on the day of the competition, and students should write an essay within one hour and 30 minutes. Those who were awarded can receive the educational benefits that SKKU offers.
How It Has Progressed After COVID-19
Despite the pandemic, about 800 international students participated in the local contests. However, there have been some changes from earlier contests. All the offline contests were changed to online, and the quota that limited students’ numbers per school was lifted. After the six local contests, on August 11th, the 1st International Sungkyun Korean Writing Contest, was held. 29 winners from each local contest participated in the global contest. Originally, students that participated in global contests get an opportunity to visit Korea to take part in the program, however, due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), participants’ visits to Korea this year had to be postponed to next year. Instead, using a Metaverse platform called ifland, SKKU implemented the traditional Korean Confucian academy, Myeongnyundang, in the background, where participants danced to songs of BTS and took photos wearing Confucian school uniforms.
The Meaning of the Sungkyun Korean Writing Contest
The Sungkyun Korean Writing Contest, which has taken place in many countries for the past 14 years, is considered one of the most prestigious competitions where international students who love Hangeul can show off their Korean writing skills. Moreover, it acts as a bridge to continue building their relationship with Korea by allowing interaction with Korean culture. The 1st place winner, Song Liruiyi, a student from Yonsei University said, “As I enjoy writing, I had an expectation about the way I would organize the story. This competition is a valuable opportunity to communicate in Korean with people all over the world who are interested in learning the language.” SKKU announced that they would expand local contests to the Americas and East Asia in 2022 to foster positive relationships worldwide. Furthermore, they said that they would take the lead in Korean education and help Korean learners express and deliver their thoughts more effectively with proper Korean writing skills.