Economic Essay Awards Held
By Cho Jae-hyon
Finance Editor
The Korea Times held a ceremony at the Seoul Plaza Hotel yesterday to award the winners of its Third Economic Essay Contest for university students.
Woori Bank sponsored the contest to help university students better understand the Korean economy. The event was held on the occasion of the 57th anniversary of The Korea Times.
This year, the topic for foreign students here and abroad was the role of foreign workers in the economy. For Korean students, the topic was ways to resolve economic polarization.
Hundreds of students from dozens of countries participated in the contest. Foreign students made proposals worthy of note for policymakers drawing up measures to attract high-skilled foreign workers.
At the same time, Korean students approached the thorny and complex issue of economic polarization with practical and creative views.
All winners said their participation in the contest was rewarding as it provided them with opportunities to ponder over the status of the South Korean economy and the challenges it faces.
Ewha Womans University's Cho Eun-bit, the Grand Prize winner, said that she had researched material for her essay for weeks.
``It was great to take part in this contest. It was very meaningful as it gave me an opportunity to take a close look at the Korean economy, while working on this project for about a month.''
Another Grand Prize winner Rim El Khoury, a Lebanese student studying at Sogang University, said, ``I'm really honored to receive this prize and really want to thank The Korea Times and Woori Bank.''
Lisa Tullus, a Swedish student studying at Yonsei University, won the runner-up prize. ``I've researched and asked around my Swedish friends working in South Korea for this essay. I'm really happy to win this award,'' she said.
While congratulating all award winners, Woori Bank's Executive Vice President Hur Deock-shin asked them to take the contest as a chance to study more about the Korean economy.
Commendation awards went to Jussi Heikkola, University of Vassa, Finland; Lee Ho-jun, Kyunghee University; and Park Hyun-ju of Yonsei University.