Korean Language Speaking Contest receives applications from all around world

A promotional poster for the 2025 Korean Language Speaking Contest

The Korea Times is receiving applications for this year’s Korean Language Speaking Contest from all around the world.

Sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the King Sejong Institute, the contest will be accepting applications until April. 27. For last year’s contest, participants from 99 countries submitted their applications.

This year’s contest features two different categories: short and long form. For long form, participants introduce their experiences with Korean media content or their favorite Korean pop artists. Contestants discuss cultural differences between Korea and their own countries in the short form category.

The contest is fully online, with participants uploading their speech video clips to YouTube with the hashtag #howdykorea before submitting their applications. The contest winners are announced on May 14. The award ceremony is slated for May 29.

The contest offers a total prize of 9 million won ($6,000) along with a hotel voucher for the High1 Grand Hotel in Gangwon Province. Participants are also given CDs autographed by various pop stars including Tomorrow X Together and Seventeen via a lottery.

“We hope more people all around the world find joy in the process of learning Korean while deepening their affection for Korean culture through the contest,” a contest official said. “We will continue to do our best to promote the Korean language and culture.”

For more information, visit https://klsc.koreatimes.co.kr/KoreanSpeakingContest_2025eng.html or the YouTube channel Howdy Korea.