Speaking contest witnesses growing influence of Korean culture

Winners of The Korea Times Korean Language Speaking Contest pose during an award ceremony at the Korea Cyber University's Inchon Hall in central Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

The Korea Times witnessed the growing global influence of Korean culture and language as it awarded winners of the Korean Language Speaking Contest during a ceremony at the Korea Cyber University's Inchon Hall in Seoul, Wednesday.

Now in its third year, the event has seen explosive growth, cementing its status as a premier global platform for Korean language learners.

This year’s contest drew 3,908 applicants from 110 countries. This marks a 120 percent increase in number of applications compared to the previous year, with participants submitting short and long videos across platforms including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.

Jung Hyang-mi, deputy minister of the culture and arts policy office at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, emphasized the deep cultural connections fostered by learning the language.

She noted that the number of students at the King Sejong Institute, a state-run Korean language education center with branches around the world, nearly doubled from 138,000 in 2021 to 239,000 last year.

Zhao Xiuran, left, the winner of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award, poses with Jung Hyang-mi, deputy minister of the culture and arts policy office at the ministry, during an award ceremony at the Korea Cyber University's Inchon Hall in Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

"Learning a language goes beyond mastering a communication tool. It is a process of understanding thoughts and lives of the people who speak it," Jung said. "I am certain that through this process, Korean is no longer an unfamiliar foreign language to you, but a language of empathy that connects people."

Jung added that the culture ministry will spare no effort in supporting Korean language learners around the world through the King Sejong Institute so they can learn and use Korean in a better environment.

The highest honor, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award, went to Zhao Xiuran from China.

She captivated the judges with her exceptional Korean fluency while discussing the unique culture of K-pop fans. In her video, she shared her personal experience of attending a special cafe event organized by fans to celebrate the birthday of a single idol group member.

"This award is deeply meaningful and I am truly grateful because I spent a lot of time thinking about how to convey my thoughts and experiences in Korean," Zhao said. "Using this experience as a stepping stone, I will continue to deeply learn the Korean language and culture."

The President Award of the Korea Cyber University was presented to Nurbekova Ayana Nurbekovna from Kyrgyzstan. She drew significant attention from the judging panel by explaining the linguistic differences between standard Korean and the Gyeongsang provincial dialect using highly fluent and natural Korean.

"The first place I came to study Korean was Daegu," Nurbekova said. "After arriving in Daegu, I learned that there is a difference between standard Korean and the Gyeongsang regional dialect, and I found it fascinating that one country has various dialects, which inspired me to create this content."

Nurbekova Ayana Nurbekovna, left, the winner of Korea Cyber University's President Award, poses with Korea Cyber University President Lee Won-gyu during an award ceremony at the university's Inchon Hall in central Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

She added that opportunities like this motivates international students to grow, as she promised to keep working hard to showcase her love for the Korean language.

The Grand Prize was jointly awarded to Enkhtaivan Sanchir from Mongolia and Putri Amalia Syafa Dewanti from Indonesia for their outstanding presentations.

The organizers also recognized numerous other participants across various categories for their dedication and creativity.

The Excellence Award was given to five participants including Irem Guzelel from Turkey, Nang Eaint Kham Hom from Myanmar, Ozioma Esther Nwabuko from Canada, Tsukagoshi Yuki from Japan and Tatiana Khoikova from Russia.

Several other competitors received the Honorable Mention for their impressive efforts, including Lara Abdullah from Germany, Max Bishop from the United Kingdom and Bui Nguyen Thuy Duong from Vietnam.

The Creative Award was presented to Amanda Dewi Aryanti Welmyna from Indonesia, Ana Leticia Maciel Costa from Brazil, Georgina Teng Chew Yan from Singapore and Rakhimjonova Soliha Sardorbekovna from Uzbekistan.

Furthermore, the newly introduced Pronunciation Challenge Award celebrated learners who demonstrated exceptional accuracy in spoken Korean. This award went to Aliboeva Sevara Akbar Kizi from Uzbekistan, Buyan Ulzii Lkhagvasuren from Mongolia, Refayana Arista Veranida from Indonesia and Jessica Valentina Baudet Ochoa from Venezuela.

Kim Jae-kyoung, vice president of The Korea Times, highlighted the expanding global interest in the Korean language.

"Participants from all over the world, including Asia, North and South America, Europe and Africa, shared their stories," Kim said. "This shows that global interest in the Korean language and culture is steadily expanding beyond a simple increase in the number of participants."