11 students, one volunteer group honored with Multicultural Youth Awards
Dignitaries applaud winners of the ninth Korea Multicultural Youth Awards during the awarding ceremony at The Korea Times' office in Seoul, Thursday. From left are Korea Times President-Publisher Oh Young-jin; Kang Ye-jin, the winner of the EDGC award; Kim Hae-young, the grand prize winner; Onubogu Vincent Rihan, a winner in the outstanding elementary school student category; Minister of Gender Equality and Family Lee Jung-ok; Korea Cultural Diversity Organization Chair Jasmine Lee; Asian Friends Chairwoman Lee Nam-sook; and Eone Diagnomics Genome Center (EDGC) co-CEO Shin Shang-cheol. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
By Lee Hyo-jin
The ninth Korea Multicultural Youth Awards ceremony took place on Thursday to recognize 11 students and one volunteer group for their outstanding achievements.
The awards, organized by The Korea Times, are aimed to encourage students from multicultural backgrounds in the country who at times experience hardships due to cultural barriers and discrimination.
The event was held at the newspaper's office in Seoul attended by a limited number of participants, adhering to the heightened social distancing measures.
The participants included three students from among the award winners and their families, along with Gender Equality and Family Minister Lee Jung-ok, and judges and representatives of the awards' sponsors, including Asian Friends Chairwoman Lee Nam-sook, Korea Cultural Diversity Organization Chair Jasmine Lee and Eone Diagnomics Genome Center (EDGC) co-CEO Shin Shang-cheol.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun congratulated the winners in a video message. “All of you have chased your dreams even in difficult situations, giving hope and courage to many multicultural children,” he said. “The government will make every effort to help you realize your dreams and make the country a place in which you can achieve your goals.”
Minister Lee said, “The awardees have shown exemplary deeds by sharing their talent with others despite their own difficulties. The awards, honoring biracial children, are very meaningful for the ministry, as we focus on developing policies for both the younger generation and multicultural families.”
Saying that the government has carried out various projects to support multicultural children to adapt to the country, she added that it will soon introduce upgraded policies through which the children will be encouraged to engage in intercultural communication.
Oh Young-jin, president-publisher of The Korea Times, expressed gratitude to the many multicultural students across the country who had shown interest in the awards despite their tough times amid the pandemic.
“The winners, who represent many other biracial children, will grow as the leaders of a diverse society,” he said.
Asian Friends honorary Chairman Kim Joon-sik, who headed the panel of judges, said what people need in this era is diversity, and diversity comes from a mixing of cultures. “You, who have grown by experiencing the cultures of your mothers and fathers, are the ones with creativity and diversity,” Kim said in his congratulatory remarks delivered through a video message.
Gender Equality and Family Minister Lee Jung-ok, right, poses with Kim Hae-young, a sophomore at Chungnam Foreign Language High School and the grand prize winner in the ninth Korea Multicultural Youth Awards, at the awarding ceremony at The Korea Times' office in Seoul, Thursday. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Minister Lee presented the grand prize to Kim Hae-young from Chungnam Foreign Language High School in Asan, South Chungcheong Province. The 17-year-old student, born to a Vietnamese mother and Korean father, was recognized for her various volunteer activities using her bilingual skills.
Eone Diagnomics Genome Center (EDGC) Co-CEO Shin Sang-cheol, right, poses with Kang Ye-jin from Lila Art High School who won the EDGC award, sponsored by the company, at the ninth Korea Multicultural Youth Awards ceremony at the newspaper's office in Seoul, Thursday. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Kang Ye-jin from Lila Art High School in Seoul won the EDGC award, sponsored by the company. Onubogu Vincent Rihan from Bogwang Elementary School in Seoul was selected as outstanding student from the elementary school division.
Korea Times President-Publisher Oh Young-jin, right, poses with Onubogu Vincent Rihan from Bogwang Elementary School, who was selected as an outstanding elementary school student in the ninth Korea Multicultural Youth Awards during the awarding ceremony at the newspaper's office in Seoul, Thursday. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
The plaque and prize money were delivered to the homes of other awardees who were not able to attend the ceremony.
Ham Hui-jeong from Hongcheon Girls' Middle School in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, won the special jury award, recognized for her deep understanding of cultural diversity.
The Semoon Chang award which is presented to a student with excellent language skills, went to Abdulkhamidov Abdulbosit from Jeam Elementary School in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.
Park Soo-jung from Yonan Elementary School in Incheon won the outstanding student award in the elementary school category, while Lee Hong-ju from Gyeongbuk Domestic Science High School in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, and Lee Ji-myung from Hanyoung High School in Seoul received the outstanding student awards in the high school division.
Shin Dong-ji from Cheonan Yonggok Middle School and Seo Hye-jeong from Seonghwan Middle School, both located in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, were awarded in the middle school division.
Bongsarang, a volunteer group at Korea Polytechnic Dasom High School in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, and Jeon Soo-yeon from Hanne Girls' Middle School in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province were the winners in the outstanding volunteer category.