Over 100 young finalists showcase their English skills as Australian Embassy joins as co-host for the first time
Young speakers took the stage Friday to celebrate 65 years of friendship between Korea and Australia, as The Korea Herald’s longstanding English Speech Contest welcomed the Australian Embassy as a co-host for the first time.
The contest’s 55th edition brought 109 kindergarten and elementary school finalists to the Kyobo Life Insurance headquarters in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, under the theme “The Herald of Heritage and Friendship: Young Voices Connecting Korea and Australia.”
Organized by Herald Media Group, publisher of The Korea Herald, the event also marked the fifth anniversary of the elevation of Korea-Australia ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Co-hosted with the Australian Embassy, this year’s competition expanded beyond its traditional focus on English-language proficiency to highlight friendship and cooperation between the two countries, Herald Media Group said.
For 8-year-old Shim I-jun, who won the competition for the second time, friendship was also a way to build confidence in English.
“If you want to speak better English, you should find someone else who speaks good English and be friends with them,” Shim told The Korea Herald.
The contest traces its roots to 1953, when The Korean Republic, the predecessor of The Korea Herald, held the first national English oratory contest.
Now in its 55th edition, the competition has sought to foster English proficiency, global communication skills and leadership among young people in Korea. Past awards have included presidential, prime ministerial and National Assembly speaker’s prizes.
About 600 students participated in this year’s contest, with 109 advancing through the preliminary round to Friday’s finals.
Fifty contestants received awards, including the Herald Media Group Chairman’s Award, the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee Chairperson’s Award and the Australian Ambassador’s Award.
Six-year-old Kim Yi-jun won the top prize in the kindergarten division with a speech about stars and constellations, two of his favorite subjects.
“I prepared for it by trying my best to be loud,” Kim told The Korea Herald. “I am so happy.”
Kim’s mother, 43-year-old Her Jin-ye, said she tried to help her son choose a topic he was genuinely interested in.
“I tried to help my son decide on a topic that he himself was interested in,” Her said.
The competition was followed by a special panel discussion on Korea-Australia relations and global communication.
Tourism Australia officially sponsored the event, with two round-trip international Korean Air tickets offered as special prizes through a raffle.
“This year’s contest combines the meaningful occasion of the 65th anniversary of Korea-Australia diplomatic relations with the 55-year tradition of our English speech competition, allowing participants to experience firsthand the value of English and global communication,” a Herald Media Group official said.
“With officials and representatives from both countries joining us, we hope the event will provide an opportunity to celebrate the participants’ efforts and growth while highlighting the friendship between Korea and Australia.”
seungku99@heraldcorp.com
