Winners of 14th Global Korea Awards

Selma Naciri

The Korea Times has selected 14 students as winners of the 14th Global Korea Awards.

Selma Naciri, a student at Bosung Girls’ High School in central Seoul's Yongsan District, won the grand prize, which will be presented by Minister of Gender Equality and Family Won Min-kyong.

Born to a Moroccan father who later became a naturalized Korean and a Korean mother, she drew on her multicultural background to study Arabic and other languages, cultivating an early sensitivity to global perspectives. Hoping to pursue a career in diplomacy, she has been active in her school’s Model United Nations program, reflecting a deep interest in international affairs.

The Korea Times also recognized two outstanding students each from the elementary, middle and high school levels, along with two from the university category.

The winners are Myeong Soo-min from Geumsan Elementary School, Shrestha Mondal from Gwangnam Elementary School, Kim Eun-woo from Jinsan Middle School, Ryu Seo-yeon from Lausanne Collegiate Incheon, Kim Hyun-jin from Kwangdong High School, and Park Si-yeun from Hansung Science High School, as well as Andrua Haque, a graduate student at Seoul National University, and Ju Ye-bom from Sogang University.

Special awards went to five recipients.

Song Jae-yeon from Gyeongan Girls’ Middle School received the National Council of Governors of Education Award, while Yoon Young-mee from Munkyung College won the Special Jury Award.

The Semoon Chang Award, which is given to a student with excellent foreign language skills, went to Park Ha-neul of Pyoseon High School, and the Korean Association for Multicultural Education Award was given to Chae Yu-jin from Gwangju Bongju Elementary School.

The University of Utah Asia Campus Award went to Bhatti Bethany Naome from Hwasu High School.

The grand prize winner will receive 3 million won ($2,057), while winners in the elementary, middle and high school categories, as well as special award recipients, will each receive 1 million won. University category winners will be awarded 2 million won.

An awards ceremony will be held on Nov. 27 at 4 p.m. on the 19th floor of the Korea Press Center in Seoul.