Korea JoongAng Daily’s photo essay contest winners share the beauty of Korea through their eyes

Winners of the 4th Global Photo Essay Contest, hosted by the Korea JoongAng Daily, pose for a photo during an awards ceremony at the JoongAng Ilbo headquarters in Mapo District, western Seoul, on March 7. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Winners of the Korea JoongAng Daily’s Global Photo Essay Contest were announced Saturday, recognizing students who captured the beauty of Korea — from its food and culture to places they hope to share with the world.

Thirty-three students across three divisions — lower elementary, upper elementary and middle school — received awards during a ceremony held at the JoongAng Ilbo headquarters in Mapo District, western Seoul.

More than 1,000 students participated in the contest, held from Feb. 2 to 22, submitting a photograph they took themselves along with an essay under the theme “Korea: Through My Eyes.”

“I am so happy that I received the grand prize,” said Kwon Na-yool, a sixth grader at Naejeong Elementary School, after receiving her award during the ceremony.

“I wrote the essay because I like eating Korean food,” she said, adding that she had not expected to win.

Kwon submitted a photograph of bibimbap and wrote about the history of traditional Korean dishes, including
tangpyeongchae, a mung bean jelly salad once served at royal banquets.

Each division recognized 11 winners: one grand prize, one gold, two silver, two bronze and five honorable mentions. Grand prize winners also received 500,000 won ($330) in prize money.

In the middle school division, the grand prize went to Lee Min-seo, a ninth grader at Seoul International School.

“My daughter’s photo essay was about her grandmother’s
galbijjim [braised beef short ribs],” Lee’s mother said as she accepted the award on her daughter’s behalf during the ceremony, thanking the grandmother who had cared for Lee and inspired the dish featured in the essay.

Lee wrote about her grandmother’s
sonmat — a Korean term describing the distinctive taste and warmth that come from food made by hand. In her essay, she reflected on how that homemade flavor brought comfort while she struggled to adjust to different cultures while living in several countries.

Her grandmother’s galbijjim, she wrote, offered her “a sense of refuge.”

In the lower elementary division, the grand prize went to Lee Tae-hee, a second grader at Seoul Daedo Elementary School, who submitted a photograph she took with her sister during a visit to a
hanok, a traditional Korean house.

In her essay, Lee described the unique architectural features of hanok, their history and her experience staying in one.

Gold prize winners were Kim Joo-wan, a third grader at Bumgye Middle School; Park Ji-ho, a sixth grader at Yeoul Elementary School; and Yoon Rhee-hwan, a third grader at Seoul International School.

Hosted by the Korea JoongAng Daily and sponsored by Korean Air and GS Caltex, the contest is now in its fourth year.

This year, organizers first screened submissions using software designed to detect AI-generated content. Essays that passed the initial screening were then evaluated by editors and a photojournalist at the Korea JoongAng Daily, who judged entries based on how well the photograph conveyed the theme as well as the essay’s content and language.

“I focused primarily on how well the photos expressed K-food, K-art and Korea’s cultural heritage,” said Park Sang-moon, a veteran photojournalist at the newspaper, during the ceremony.

He added that he also considered technical elements such as a photograph’s composition, color and how effectively it used light.

“Photography is often described as an art that reflects the human heart,” Park said. “I hope all of you continue taking wonderful photos in the future with your beautiful and kind hearts.”

Choi Ji-young, executive editor of the Korea JoongAng Daily, also offered congratulatory remarks during the ceremony.

“Each year, the competition becomes more intense, and the quality of the work continues to rise,” she said. “To all of you who won through such fierce competition, you should be proud of yourselves. Congratulations.”

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [[email protected]]