Starbucks awards tumbler drawing contest winners

From left, Starbucks Korea CEO Sohn Jeong-hyun, poses with two grand prize winners Park Ye-seul and Ha Young-yoon, and Director of Employment Promotion at the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities Cha Jung-hoon, during an award ceremony for the company's annual tumbler drawing contest at Starbucks Korea Support Center in central Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Starbucks Korea

By Kim Jae-heun

Starbucks Korea selected the winners of its tumbler drawing contest, called “Harmony,” aimed at raising public awareness on the issues faced by disabled people, the country's largest coffee chain said Tuesday.

A total of 406 young artists with disabilities submitted works from April 17 to May 12 and in cooperation with the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities and Heart to Heart Foundation, Starbucks Korea reviewed the creations.

The award ceremony, held at the Starbucks Korea Support Center in central Seoul, June 16, chose two grand prize winners and delivered 3 million won ($2,340) to each.

The grand prize went to Park Ye-seul, whose work titled “Colorful” depicted a world where people live together in harmony.

The other grand prize winner was Ha Young-yoon, who painted “Tree Without Prejudice.” Ha said he drew the piece hoping to deliver the message that we all can live without prejudice.

“I want to thank my parents who gave me the courage to live in this world, where I couldn't hear anything since I was young,” said Ha who has a hearing impairment.

Starbucks Korea has been holding the tumbler drawing contest since December 2020, when it opened a store at Seoul National University Dental Hospital, which adopts prize-winning pieces for its interior design. This is the third time the coffee chain held the drawing contest.

The winning pieces of the second tumbler drawing contest held last year will be used on Starbucks goods sold at the company's third community store. All of the profits will be used for the projects to improve social awareness on disabilities.

“We will continue to work to fight prejudice against people with disabilities through various activities in the future,” Starbucks Korea CEO Sohn Jeong-hyun said.