Home > National > K-campus

Winners of JoongAng's Global Photo Essay Contest highlight history of Gyeongju

Published: 27 Jul. 2025, 19:59

LEE SOO-JUNG
[email protected]

Award winners of the Korea JoongAng Daily's Global Photo Essay Contest pose for a photograph during a recognition ceremony held at the JoongAng Ilbo's headquarters in Mapo District, western Seoul, on July 26. [PARK SANG-MOON]

The winners of the Korea JoongAng Daily’s annual Global Photo Essay Contest were named on Saturday for sharing compelling stories about their memories of Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang, the host of this year’s APEC summit.

A group of 40 contestants was recognized during the award ceremony held at the JoongAng Ilbo headquarters in Mapo District, western Seoul. The contest, in its third iteration, drew 1,503 submissions between May 19 to July 13, from participation across four divisions: elementary, middle school, undergraduate and international students studying in Korea.

This year’s theme was the city of Gyeongju to commemorate Korea’s chairmanship of the APEC summit for the first time in 20 years. Every contender submitted a photo taken in Gyeongju and a one-page English essay reflecting on the city’s historic meaning and their cultural and culinary experiences. Gyeongju was the capital of the Silla Dynasty (57 B.C. to A.D. 935).

Farhana Binti Haslan Farouk won the grand prize in the global division, Kang Dong-yeon in the college division, Kim Min-seok in the middle school division and Yim Su-a in the youngest division.

Grand prize winners received the awards from the North Gyeongsang governor and a cash prize of 500,000 won ($361). Gold prize winners from each group received the awards from the mayor of Gyeongju.

Farouk, a 24-year-old Malaysian student from Kangwon National University who won the global division grand prize, linked the spirits of Hwarang, soldiers from the Silla Dynasty, to Korean independence movement activists during Japan's colonial rule (1910-1945) in her essay. She noted that their shared mentality helped Korea stay “unified” over the centuries.

“I went to Gyeongju this year and I loved the city and history — the background of the city itself,” Farouk said.

Ana Catarina Castanheira Farinha, 30, a Portuguese student from the Academy of Korean Studies who won an honorable mention, said she felt that relics in a museum in Gyeongju seemed to speak to the modern era.

In her essay, Farinha wrote that glass necklaces on display remained “electrifyingly alive.” She said those ancient exhibits reminded people that the past was “echoing to today.”

Park Se-eun, an eight-year-old gold prize winner from Gaon Elementary School, said that she felt proud of herself for receiving such a huge award. Her essay, inspired by a family trip to Gyeongju last year, described the harmony between the city’s nature and historic sites such as Bulguksa, a Buddhist temple. Park’s parents said that the contest has made the city more meaningful to them.

Award winners of the Global Photo Essay Contest and their families and acquaintances attend a recognition ceremony in Mapo District in western Seoul on July 26. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Another winner, Yeo Yu-ju, a 12-year-old from Seoul Joongdae Elementary School, recalled that she enjoyed her visit to the city where she saw various buildings and cultural artifacts that “embodied her ancestors’ wisdom.” Yeo won an honorable mention with a photo of Cheomseongdae, an astronomical observatory built in the Silla Dynasty.

Oh Eun-seo, a seventh grader from Daegu International School, said she was astonished after coming across an ancient tomb — called Daereungwon — in a neighborhood known to have modern and trendy eateries and cafes in Gyeongju.

Despite her record of winning an honorable mention in the middle school division this year, Oh now aims for a higher goal. “I think I exceeded my expectations this year,” Oh said. “But next time, I want to do even better.”

The Korea JoongAng Daily has invited students to share their perspectives on Korean history and culture through photography and writing since 2023. The newspaper's editors and photographer evaluated the entries based on their writing ability and structure as well as framing skills in photography. The judges also strictly filtered out submissions that appeared to be assisted by AI.

Brochures featuring the prize-winning entries will be available during the APEC summit this fall. The North Gyeongsang provincial government, Gyeongju city government and Korean Air jointly sponsored the contest.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [[email protected]]