The Culture Ministry is accepting applications for the 2012 Open Exhibition Contest for Creative Scenarios in Asia in the five categories of soap operas, cartoons, musicals, plays and movies from May 8 until July 6, the Asia Storytelling Committee said.

Scenarios should be based on the 23 legends of Asia selected by the Asia Storytelling Committee and the 100 Asian stories selected by the South Korean Culture Ministry. Scenarios should be written in Korean, Russian or English and be submitted online at www.asiastoryroad.com. Direct and mail-in submissions will not be accepted, the committee said.

The contest will offer 35 million won (US$30,800) in prize money ― 20 million won for a grand prize and 3 million won each for five runner-ups.

South Korea, along with countries in Central Asia including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, established the Asia Storytelling Committee in 2009. It was established to promote cultural exchange programs based on the traditional stories of each country.

The committee selected 23 representative stories of Korea and the Central Asian countries in 2010 and translated the stories into the languages of the respective countries.

The 100 Asian stories are composed of representative stories of 35 Asian countries, including the myth of Jumong, Princess of Bari of Korea, Manas, a heroic epic of Kyrgyzstan and a story about the morin khuur, a traditional stringed instrument of Mongolia.

For more information, visit www.asiastoryroad.com or call 82-2-3704-3450. 

(Yonhap News)