Hangeul Nuri Foundation

A local Hangeul foundation is hosting an online contest for foreigners to transcribe their native language in Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, this summer.

The contest, dubbed "Hangeul Festa 2023," hosted by Hangeul Nuri Foundation, requires its applicants to submit videos of the following descriptions from June 1 to Aug. 31 via its official website (https://www.hangeul-festa.org/en/).

The contest will be held in three categories: transcribing in Hangeul the lyrics to a song; transcribing and telling a story; translating and transcribing the preface to the "Hunminjeongeum," the official document that explains the reason for the creation of Hangeul and its usage.

In the first category, participants are asked to transcribe in Hangeul the lyrics of the song "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" in their native language as they are pronounced, and produce a video of themselves singing the song.

For the stories category, participants are required to do the same for the famous Aesop's Fable, "The North Wind and the Sun" -- transcribe in Hangeul their native language version of the story, and make a video of themselves telling the story.

The last category asks participants to read the preface to the Hunminjeongeum; translate the preface into their native language; and then rewrite it in Hangeul to create a video of themselves reading it.

The winners will be announced on Oct. 9, which is Hangeul Day. A total of $31,000 in prizes will be awarded to 99 winners, including a $5,000 grand prize and the Hangeul Society Chairman's Award.

All foreigners who can read and write Hangeul as non-native speakers of Korean are eligible to apply.

Established in 2022, Hangeul Nuri has conducted theoretical research on Hangeul. The foundation was established to promote and share the spirit and principles of the Hunminjeongeum with Koreans and people around the world. Its subsidiary and think tank, the Hangeul Nuri Institute, also carries out various research on the Korean alphabet.

"Through this contest, we hope to explore new possibilities for Hangeul with people around the world and share our proud cultural heritage of the Hunminjeongeum as a public asset for humanity," said Kim Ju-won, director of the Hangeul Nuri Institute and professor emeritus at Seoul National University.

The Hangeul Nuri Foundation is sponsored by boiler and heater manufacturer Navien Inc.