Date & Time: May 3, 2025, Saturday, at 1 PM EST

Format: Hybrid (Virtual & In-Person)

Location: The Korea Society, 350 Madison Ave., 24th Fl., NY, NY 10017

Application

Deadline:

  • January 20, 2025: Application to Participate Submission Deadline

  • January 20, 2025: Early Manuscript Submission Deadline

  • February 17, 2025: Speech Manuscript Submission Deadline

Requirement:

  • Eligibility: Students in grades 9 – 12, residing in the U.S.

  • Language: English

  • Length of Speech: 4 - 6 minutes (1,400 words maximum)

  • All applicants must submit an Application to Participate by the stated deadline.

  • Early submission of manuscripts is encouraged. Applicants who submit a manuscript by January 20, 2025 will be invited to a writing workshop and will have the opportunity to revise and resubmit your manuscript by the deadline of February 17, 2025.

  • All manuscripts must be resubmitted by February 17, 2025

Awards & Scholarships:   

  • Grand Award: $1,500

  • 1st Place: $1,200

  • 2nd Place (2 persons): $1,000

  • 3rd Place (3 persons): $500

  • Manuscript (2 persons): $500

  • Finalists: $200

Inquiries:

  • website: http://www.kscholarship.org

  • e-mail: speech@kscholarship.org

  • text/phone: 734-657-6951/ 631-513-5438

Hosts & Sponsoring Organizations

  • Kyung-Uhn Scholarship Association

  • Kyunggi Girls’ High School Alumnae Association of Greater NY

  • The Korea Society

Supporting Organizations

  • Korean American Association of Greater New York

  • K-12 Korean Language Teachers Association, USA

  • Korean American Teachers’ Association of New York

  • Korean American Educators’ Association of New Jersey

2025 Speech Contest Theme:

My Experience with Korean Culture

In recent years, the “Korean Wave” has introduced Korea and its history and traditions to the world in a new and exciting light. Today, it is common to see people texting on their Samsung cell phones or washing their clothes in an LG washer. It is easy to find BTS on the radio, stream a critically acclaimed movie like Parasite, or order bibimbap for delivery at home. While newer aspects of Korean economics and pop culture are adapted for today’s world, they reflect Korea’s rich culture and traditions developed over 5,000 years of history. These traditions are still practiced by Koreans today and are reflected in all aspects of Korean culture.

If you have Korean friends, you may have had the opportunity to witness a traditional wedding ceremony or first birthday celebration. If you’ve visited with their family, you may have observed unique family relations. You may find traces of these traditions in the behaviors and attitudes of many Koreans regardless of where they live or depicted in different aspects of pop culture.

Have you experienced any aspect of Korean culture? What have those experiences been like for you? Is there any aspect of Korean culture that particularly fascinates you? How and why? What are the traditional Korean values, thoughts, and ideas you have seen in your experiences? Reflect on the Korean traditions you have seen or experienced and think of why and how it impacts you, Koreans, and the current society you live in.

Korean Culture: My Experience

You may select a group or groups in the world and discuss the following points in your speech.

  • What are the traditional values, thoughts and ideas you have observed in your experience with Korean culture?

  • Do you see those traditions, values and thoughts in other aspects of Korean culture? If you do, what are they?

  • Are they uniquely Korean or do you observe the similar traditions, values and thoughts in other cultures?

  • Why do you think these traditions, values, and thoughts remain in modern Korean culture?

    How do these affect you, Koreans, and the current society you live in?

Based on your experiences and observations of Korean culture,
all or some aspects of the questions
should be addressed in your manuscript.