The prizes, presented by The Korea Times, seek to inspire students from diverse backgrounds facing challenges related to cultural or language differences. Park Hye-mi, a senior at Gwangju Dongshin Girls' Middle School, received the special jury award. Despite facing adversity, being the child of a Korean father and Vietnamese mother, and experiencing her parents' divorce at the age of three, she has emerged as an exceptional student, earning praise from teachers and affection from friends.
Park Soo-bin, a senior at Wonil Middle School in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, received recognition as an exceptional student in the middle school division. Born to a Korean father and a Vietnamese mother, Park was commended for her outstanding achievements in independent learning and education, particularly excelling in the field of science. Meanwhile, Nguyen Duc Toan, a student at Youngseok High School in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, was honoured with a special award.
Toan, born to Vietnamese parents, possesses excellent language proficiency, fluently speaking Vietnamese, Korean, and English. He serves as the primary goalkeeper for the Seoul Spartans U18 and recently joined the Korea Football Association. Additionally, seven students from diverse family backgrounds were recognized for their talents and moral virtues. Lim Mi-eun, an educator at Sunil Middle School, and the You & Me Happiness Centre providing education and assistance to multicultural families, was selected in the volunteer category. The awardees received a medal and a prize of 1 million won each.
