2013 Sejong Writing Competition now open Competition deadline: 11:59pm, January 31st, 2013 (CST) New young adult essay division Young adult and senior essay topic: Our Twisted Hero New teacher-friendly registration system   Changes this year Young adult essay division For our 2013 Writing Competition it is with pleasure that we announce the addition of a young adult essay division, open to all writers age 25 and younger residing (or with residence) in the US or Canada. 2013 registration and applications Beginning with our 2013 Writing Competition we will be using a new registration-based system for entry submissions. For students, this system offers the option of emailing submission confirmations and/or PDF copies of entries to teachers; additionally, it enables students to edit entries easily until the competition deadline. Teacher accounts can view and, if necessary, submit their students' submissions. We would like to stress that all personal information is kept strictly confidential and no information is shared with parties outside of the Sejong Cultural Society. 2013 Guidelines, Prompts, and Prizes Submission deadline: 11:59pm, January 31st, 2013 (CST) Eligibility: open to all residents of the US and Canada age 25 and younger Sijo category (one division open to students grade 12 and younger): Write one sijo on a topic of your choice. More information on writing sijo can be found on our website. Essay category prompts Young adult & senior divisions (age 25 and younger & grade 12 and younger) Yi Munyol (b. 1948) wrote Our Twisted Hero as a satirical allegory in response to the authoritarian regimes that headed South Korea's government in the wake of the Korean War—a political "dark age" steeped with human rights controversies and accusations of corruption and ineptitude. Read Our Twisted Hero by Yi Mun-yol (free to read on our website) Young adult topic: Compare and contrast an aspect of Our Twisted Hero (e.g., plot, characters, setting, or background) to another artistic work, event—current or historical—or any subject matter of your choice. Senior topic: Our Twisted Hero is an allegorical novel particular to a troubled time in modern Korean history, but it has many parallels to other literary works that offer similar allegories. Works like Lord of the Flies and A Clockwork Orange—both British—are about groups of non-adults who form their own societies with their own rules that mirror or oppose the values of the culture at large. Both of the western novels mentioned above also directly or indirectly address a significant problem in society. Compare Yi Mun-yol's work with one the books mentioned above or to another literary work or film with similar thematic content. Alternately, senior division students may choose to write their essays in response to the young adult division topic. Junior essay division (grade 8 and younger) Korea has a rich tradition of storytelling, and its folk tales reflect important aspects of its history and culture. Many of the old historical texts are full of local legends and myths. Folk tales can be entertaining and educational, but they can also strike a deep chord in our personal lives, and many Korean folk tales demonstrate the universal tragedies and triumphs of daily life in the family. Topics (choose one): Each topic refers to the list of Korean folktales found on our folktales index page. Select one folk tale from the list and explain your interpretation of the story. What do you think it means? What is its importance? Why do you think it was created? If you could change one of these folk tales, what would you change and why? Do you disagree with something the tale is trying to convey? Which Korean folk tale character do you relate to best? Why? Would you make the same decisions as that character? Rules:    - All entries must be written in English.    - Contestants are permitted one essay and one sijo entry.    - Entries must be submitted through our website. Prizes:    - Essay division (YA): first ($1,000), second ($800), third ($600)    - Essay division (senior): first ($500), second ($400), third ($300)    - Essay division (junior): first ($300), second ($200), third ($100)    - Sijo category: first ($300), second ($200), third ($100)    - Honorable mention (for all divisions and categories listed above):      Friends of Pacific Rim Award ($50 each) Other events We will once again be hosting our sijo workshop for teachers on November 17th (Saturday) at the University of Illinois at Chicago. If interested, please contact us or check our website in the future for updates. Additionally, we will be hosting a live discussion with Yi Mun-yol, author of Our Twisted Hero, in March of 2013. Contact us at writing@sejongculturalsociety.org with any questions.

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