A state-organized contest for Hangeul-themed content will be held in July and August.

The fourth Hangeul Idea Award -- hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, organized by the Korea Creative Content Agency and sponsored by Naver -- is about creating new products based on Hangeul.

The award categories are: content, referring to product plans introducing Hangeul-themed content, such as publications, games, comics and characters; information technology, referring to new software and services centered on Hangeul that can be run on electronic devices; and Hangeul-themed visual design, anything from furniture to household appliances to accessories.

Anyone, regardless of their nationality or age, can submit their work from Friday to 4 p.m. on Aug. 20. The winner will be announced by the end of September, and the awards ceremony will be held the following month.

The grand prize will be given to one person from any of the categories, and will include 15 million won ($13,268) in prize money. This year, the organizers created a special award for foreigners to encourage participation.

“Through this contest, we hope to find various ideas that maximize the value of Hangeul, which will lead to commercialization of the products and boost interest in Hangeul,” said an official from the Culture Ministry.

Winners who wish to commercialize their products will be provided with support, including expert advice, participation at exhibitions and patent applications.

For more information in Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and Russian, visit http://www.hangeulaward.co.kr.


By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)