| Kim Hak-joon, second from right, president of the Northeast Asian History Foundation, and Lee Chang-sup, fourth from left, president-publisher of The Korea Times, pose with winners of the 6th International Peace Essay Contest during an awards ceremony at the foundation's office in Seoul, Wednesday. Jean Do, fifth from left, won the top prize. Two runners-up were Mark Schulz, fourth from right, and Lee Dong-hui, who is absent from the photo. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
By Kim Hyo-jin
The award ceremony for winners of the 6th International Peace Essay Contest, jointly organized by The Korea Times and the Northeast Asian History Foundation (NAHF), was held at the latter's office in Seoul, Wednesday.
Twelve winners were selected among 177 entries from 23 countries, including Japan, India, Greece, Panama, and Costa Rica. The given topic for the competition was, "How should we look back the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II?"
NAHF President Kim Hak-joon said in a congratulatory speech that the essay contest would become a seed for establishment of peace in Northeast Asia at a time when Korea-Japan relations are strained.
"I'm very sorry for the current icy mood between Korea and Japan," Kim said, referring to a controversial column of Japan's Sankei Shimbun that likened President Park Geun-hye to a Korean empress slain by Japanese assassins in the late 19th century.
"I doubt that Northeast Asia can maintain peace and stability when Japan fails to keep balance in history issues. This competition is meaningful because it can raise awareness of what's right and wrong, and ultimately contribute to a better future."
Jean Do, a post-doctoral fellow at Sogang University who won the Gold Prize, said she hoped her essay would help others have a chance to look back at history.
"As a teacher and researcher of contemporary Korean history and inter-Korean relations, I wanted to take the opportunity to help readers, especially young students, see that it is possible to remember and interpret our history in a nonpartisan manner by taking into account as many historical facts as possible," she said.
Mark Schulz, an English teacher of Hanmin High School and one of the two Silver Prize winners, said the contest was a meaningful experience for him.
"I have been interested in the topic as I grew up in South Africa seeing apartheid, which took away black people's rights and their ability to pursue their own happiness," Schulz said.
Korea Times President-Publisher Lee Chang-sup appreciated that there was a large number of entries from all over the world.
"This might be the only global English essay contest with a historical theme. I believe through the contest, Korea was remembered in the minds of people around the world," Lee said.
The other Silver Prize winner was Lee Dong-hui, a student at Pusan Foreign Language High School.
The three Bronze Prize winners were Kim Yoon, a student at International School Bangkok; Aimalynne Radores, a master's degree candidate at Kyunghee University; and Hee Young Celine Tae, a student at North London Collegiate School Jeju.
Six other participants were selected as fourth-prize winners.