11 students from multicultural backgrounds and teacher awarded for accomplishments

Dignitaries and winners of the 11th Korea Multicultural Youth Awards pose after the prize ceremony at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, Monday. Among the dignitaries were, fourth from left in the back row Minister of Gender Equality and Family Kim Hyun-sook, fourth from right in the back row Ambassador of the Philippines to Korea Maria Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega and third from right in the back row Charge d'Affaires of Colombia to Korea Francisco Alberto Gonzalez. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

By Lee Hyo-jin

• Published Dec 5, 2022 9:36 PM KST
• Updated Dec 5, 2022 10:00 PM KST

By Lee Hyo-jin

Eleven talented students from diverse backgrounds and one teacher were recognized for their achievements and exemplary deeds at the 11th Korea Multicultural Youth Awards ceremony, Monday.

The awards, given by The Korea Times, are aimed at encouraging students from multicultural backgrounds, who at times experience hardships due to cultural or language barriers.

The ceremony, held at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, was attended by awardees and their family members, as well as Gender Equality and Family Minister Kim Hyun-sook, the judges and representatives of the sponsors including Seong Sang-hwan, head of the Korean Association for Multicultural Education.

Ambassador of the Philippines to Korea Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega and Charge d'affaires of Colombia to Korea Francisco Alberto Gonzalez also attended the event.

The grand prize, presented by the gender equality and family minister, went to Jennifer Lee, a sixth grader at Sangtap Elementary School in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Born to a Mexican mother and a Korean father, Lee was recognized for her multilingual skills in Korean, Spanish, English and German, as well as her passion for sports.

“I am thankful to my family for always being there to support me. Along with many other children from multicultural backgrounds, I will not give up pursuing my dreams. I want to grow up as an adult who can contribute to our society,” she said in her acceptance speech.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo delivered his congratulatory remarks via video.

“As we enter an era where 1.1 million multicultural households are living across the country, Korea has already become a nation where diverse cultures and ethnicity coexist. As seen by the rising global popularity of K-content (Korean content), boundaries in cross-national borders, races and languages are becoming increasingly meaningless,” he said.

Han stressed that the government will step up efforts to actively support children so that the future generation can grow up as global citizens equipped with inclusivity and openness

The gender equality and family minister highlighted the growing importance of children of multicultural backgrounds, who contribute to making Korea a more diverse society.

“When I met multicultural families during my visit to a family support center, they asked for support in education and career planning above all,” Kim said. “And reflecting such policy demands, our ministry is strengthening tailored support for multicultural families,” she added.

Oh Young-jin, president-publisher of The Korea Times, expressed gratitude to the family ministry and judges who contributed to the annual ceremony for the past decade since its establishment in 2012.

“Multiculturalism in Korea is not a matter of choice, but a matter of survival. Korea, as it is, is heading toward greater multiculturalism. I believe that the recipients of today's awards will be the future leaders who will make the country stronger based on their diverse cultural backgrounds,” he said.

Kim Joon-sik, honorary chairman of Asian Friends and who headed the juries, said, “I was pleased to see that children from multicultural backgrounds are growing up healthy, studying hard, showing exemplary deeds in and outside of school.”

Cui Yun-zhi, a sixth grader at Yangji Elementary School in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, and Gina Kim Mandigo, a second grader at Gyeokdong Elementary School in Ulsan, were selected as outstanding students in the elementary school category.

In the middle school category, Jairo Andres Ramiez Cruz from Hongik Middle School in Seoul, and Kwon Ji-ae from Woonam Middle School in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, were selected as winners.

The prizes in the high school category went to Hong Seok-yeon at Seoul Information Technology High School and Kim Kyung-min at Korea Polytechnic Dasom High School in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province.

The Semoon Chang Award, presented to students with exceptional talent in foreign languages, went to Kam Hyo-been, a second grader at Cheongsim International Academy in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province.

Syrian national Marwa Aljalaali studying at Daejeon Daewha Middle School, along with Joeljin Nwamadi, a first grader at Gimpojeil High School in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, were honored with special jury awards.

Hirose Minori, a first grader at Sunjung High School in Seoul, who is a foreign student from Japan, won the Korean Association for Multicultural Education Award.

Meanwhile, Lee Eun-og, a teacher-librarian at Gonjiam High School in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, won the outstanding volunteer award for her dedication to supporting students from multicultural backgrounds.

The recipients were awarded with a plaque and prize money of 1 million won, respectively.