The 61st National High School Literary Contest

The 61st National High School Literary Contest, organized by the College of Liberal Arts (Dean Dae-hoe Ahn) and sponsored by the Department of Korean Language and Literature, took place on October 28th (Sat) at the Humanities and Social Sciences Campus.

The National High School Literary Contest has been held since 1960 with the aim of nurturing emotional expression and literary creativity among high school students. The event is conducted with the assistance of the faculty and established writers from the Department of Korean Language and Literature.

A total of 560 students applied, with 340 in the prose section and 220 in the poetry section, competing in writing under the themes of "Anbu" (prose) and "Jeongryujang" (poetry).

The results of the judging revealed 30 winners, including 2 grand prize winners. ▲Seo-yoon Lim, a 2nd-year student from Busan Dongyeo Girls' High School, won in the poetry section, and ▲Tae-eun Kim, a 3rd-year student from Cheoncheon High School, won in the prose section. Tae-eun Kim is set to receive the Yulgok Scholarship (50% tuition reduction for the first two years of enrollment) upon admission to the university.

Regarding Tae-eun Kim's winning work, "<Greetings Inside Concrete>," the judging panel for the prose section praised it, stating, "The imaginative reflection on social significance was evident, and it did not miss dramatic tension and timeliness." They further commented, "While each participant had their strengths, we particularly noted works that expressed the theme in their own language. Congratulations to the winners and encouragement to those who did not win."

The judging panel for the poetry section commended Seo-yoon Lim's winning work, "<At the Bus Stop>," stating, "Consistently portraying the uncertainty of youth who have not yet determined the path of life." They appreciated that it was not just a convincingly crafted poem but a work drawn from the poet's own life. They emphasized, "We selected works that possess a unique voice rather than those crafted by borrowing from famous poets' works."

The detailed results and judging comments for the winners of the 61st National High School Literary Contest can be found on the Sungkyunkwan University National High School Literary Contest website.