2022 Sejong Writing Competition (Essay & Sijo) Winning Entries

17th Sejong Writing Competition (April 2022)

INDEX ￭ 17th Sejong Writing Competition Announcement ￭ Writing Competition Planning Committee

Essay Category ￭ Winners ￭ Competition Rules and Essay Topic ￭ Winners Entries & Bio ￭ Adult Division ￭ Senior Division ￭ Junior Division ￭ Competition Judges

Sijo Category ￭ Winners ￭ Rules and a Basic Guide to Writing Sijo ￭ Winners Entries & Bio ￭ Adult Division ￭ Pre-College Division ￭ Competition Judges

The Sejong Writing Competition aims to introduce young adults to Korean culture through literature and poetry.

Open to all residents of the US and Canada regardless of ethnic background (

&

The sijo is a traditional three-line Korean poetic form organized technically and thematically by line and syllable count. Using the sijo form, write one poem in English on a topic of your choice. For examples of sijo, more information, and teaching materials – including teaching guides for sijo, please visit our website. *Only one entry per applicant is permitted.

Topic: “Symbiosis theory” (2019) by Kim Choyeop Prompt: This is a story in which the ideas serve as the action and weave the early mysteries into thematic questions at the end.

What are some of the questions that this story presents and how do they weave together to further the theme? Since the story itself is speculative (SF stands for “speculative fiction” as well as “science fiction”), feel free to be speculative in your essay, but be sure to make concrete reference to specific details in the story in your discussion.

Topic: “The Girl in the Cylinder” (2019) by Kim Choyeop Prompt: The story might be classified as dystopian, but it is also a story of an unlikely friendship. As the plot unfolds, it concretely illustrates many abstract ideas, as Kim says. What are some of these abstract ideas that get dramatized? How does Kim deliver a thematic message through the drama of this story? Is there a particular message to be found in the story, or is it more a matter of emotion and tone?

Korea has a rich tradition of storytelling and its folk tales reflect important aspects of its history and culture.

Topics (Choose one): each topic refers to the list of Korean folktales found on our website.

• Write an interpretation of a folk tale of your choice. Why do you think it was created? Which character do you relate to best?

• If you could change one of these folk tales, what would you change and why? : Winning entries may be published in the Korea Times Chicago, the Korean Quarterly, or Azalea: A Journal of Korean Literature and Culture, published by the Korea Institute at Harvard University.

• Adult sijo division: First ($1,000) Second ($750) Third ($500) • Pre-college sijo division: First ($500) Second ($400) Third ($300) • Adult essay division First ($1,000) Second ($750) Third ($500) • Senior essay division: First ($500) Second ($400) Third ($300) • Junior essay division: First ($300) Second ($200) Third ($100) • Friends of Pacific Rim Award for selected essays and sijo ($50 each) : all entries must be written in English and only one essay and one sijo per applicant are permitted. A full list of guidelines and rules can be found on our website. : March 31, 2022. 11:59pm CDT. Applications and entries must be submitted through our online submission system.

The Sejong Cultural Society acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and Literature Translation Institute of Korea.

Please visit our website at www.sejongculturalsociety.org/writing or email us at writing@sejongculturalsociety.org.

Writing Competition Planning Committee:

Heinz Insu Fenkl (State University of New York at New Paltz, NY), chair Bruce Fulton (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada) Seong-Kon Kim (Seoul National University, Korea) Young-Min Kwon (Seoul National University, Korea) David McCann (Harvard University, Cambridge, MA) Mark Peterson (Brigham Young University, Provo, UT) Martha Vickery (Korean Quarterly, St. Paul, MN)

Essay Category

17th Sejong Writing Competition (April 2022)

Essay Category

￭ Winners ￭ Competition Rules and Essay Topic ￭ Winners Entries & Bio ￭ Adult Division ￭ Senior Division ￭ Junior Division

2022 Sejong Writing Competition Essay Winners

Adult Division Hannah Kim Saint Paul, MN

First

Second

essay

Matthew Mills Danielsville, GA essay

None

Third

Senior Division

Junior Division

Hannah Adams Maple Glen, PA 9th grade, (Jason Fritz) Upper Dublin High School essay

Mason Raymond El Cajon, CA 8th grade, (Carol Purvis) Literacy First Charter School Junior Academy essay

Elena Davis Centerville, VA 9th grade, (Stephanie Oden) Centreville High School essay

Ethan Leem San Diego, CA 7th grade, (Moon Jeung Chang) Pacific Trails Middle School essay

Emerson Kang Paramus, NJ 10th grade, (Abbey Morgan) Dwight-Englewood School essay

Anusha Bharadvaj Kirkland, WA 8the grade, (Lauren Jackson) International Community School essay

Jocelyn Burgess Scottsdale, AZ (Jo Markette) Coronado High School

Marianna Druzhkova Redmond, WA 8th Grade, (Lauren Jackson) International Community School

Brian Pae New York, NY 10th grade, (Connie Lim) Collegiate school

Seonghui Ju Falls Church. VA (Sylvia Maldonado) Longfellow Middle School

Brodie Sheridan Tempe, AZ 12th grade (Jo Markette) Coronado High School

Hye Jung Shin Buffalo Grove, IL 8th grade (Renee Weinstein) Aptakisic Junior High

HM*

Suniti Srinivasan Redmond, WA 8th grade, (Lauren Jackson) International Community School

*Honorable Mention - Friend of the Pacific Rim Award ( ) Teacher's name

Essay Category

ADULT division

Essay Adult Essay Division - TOPIC

Adult division (age 19 - 30) Topic:" Symbiosis theory" (2019) by Choyeop Kim The “Symbiosis Theory” is posted at CLARKESWORLD website.

Click HERE to read the "Symbiosis Theory".

(You will be redirected to the CLARKESWORLD website page) Prompts: This is a story in which the ideas serve as the action and weave the early mysteries into thematic questions at the end. What are some of the questions that this story presents and how do they weave together to further the theme? Since the story itself is speculative (SF stands for “speculative fiction” as well as “science fiction”), feel free to be speculative in your essay, but be sure to make concrete reference to specific details in the story in your discussion.

PROMPT for “Symbiosis Theory” “Symbiosis Theory” poses plenty of questions and provides both implicit and explicit answers while also theorizing about its central theme. This is a story in which the ideas serve as the action and weave the early mysteries into thematic questions at the end.

What are some of the questions that this story presents and how do they weave together to further the theme? Since the story itself is speculative (SF stands for “speculative fiction” as well as “science fiction”), feel free to be speculative in your essay, but be sure to make concrete reference to specific details in the story in your discussion.

About the author Kim Choyeop holds a BA in chemistry and an MA in biochemistry from Pohang University of Science and Technology.

She launched her literary career in 2017 when two of her stories won the grand and runner-up prizes at the 2017 Korean SF Awards. She then went on to win the Today’s Writer Award in 2019 and her debut short story collection, If We Can’t Go at the Speed of Light, was a record-breaking bestseller in South Korea. Kim is 28, which is relatively young for a writer, and that—along with her subject matter and forthright personality—is probably one of the reasons she is so popular among young readers. In a recent interview, she said: “During my university years, I was largely interested in non-fiction about science . . . . Around the time of my graduation, I picked up a few books on novel writing. Before then, I had not tried writing fiction because I didn’t think I

had what it took to become a novelist. But I realized that even without any natural talent I could still learn the techniques of novel writing through books and workshops. So, I started taking writing classes to hone my skills.”

Kim has also said that she enjoys converting abstract ideas, such as memory, emotion, consciousness, and relationships into concrete form. She wants to write about the abstractions of life in a concrete and scientific language while discovering new questions in the process. In fact, the structure of some of her short stories is based on the scientific approach of posing a question and seeking to answer it.

Adult Essay Division Winners: first place – Hannah Kiml second place – Matthew Mills third place – none

Adult Essay Division - Winning Entries

first place

Hannah Kim Saint Paul, MN

Title: Language, Memory, and Compassion in “Symbiosis Theory”

“Symbiosis Theory” features small aliens that reside in young humans and scientists who attempt to understand the aliens. It is a rich story not because of the things it tells us, but because of the questions it asks us. In fact, it even leaves open which questions are asked, inviting the reader to construct for herself the framing that, in retrospect, helps to put all the disparate pieces of the story together. In this essay, I’ll show how the story’s thematic questions generate insights about language, memory, and compassion.

Among the questions that are raised in the story, there are “surface” questions and “thematic” questions.

Surface questions are posed to move the plot along. “Why does Ludmila have memories of a place she’d never been?”, a question invited by the opening of the story, is eventually answered by the alien’s continued presence in her mind. “Why do people react so emotionally to her paintings?” is also answered: though aliens coexist with humans only until they develop language proficiency, their memories leave a trace on the human mind. We also get a scientific answer to the question “why do babies think like older humans?” What the cry decoding algorithms uncover aren’t the babies’ thoughts, but the aliens’.

Beyond these plot-related, surface questions are the sophisticated thematic questions that hint at the story’s ability to tell us something enduringly true about people and the world we live in. An important cluster of questions concern language: why does Ludmila paint about the alien planet instead of writing about it? Why do the aliens leave once humans learn how to speak? Another significant cluster concerns memory: why do the aliens take children’s memory when they leave? And why do alien’s memories of their homeland leave a trace on the human mind? Lastly, we have questions surrounding its title: if the relationship between aliens and humans were symbiotic, who benefitted from whom, and in what way? The story is clear that a “symbiotic coexistence didn’t always involve a mutually benefit relationship”. Was it to human’s benefit or harm that aliens steered young humans towards altruism?

These questions are the driving force behind the story, and it is only when we answer the thematic questions that we arrive at the philosophical significance of the story. So, let’s turn to each cluster of questions.

It is telling that Ludmila paints; she doesn’t write about the alien planet. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but given that the aliens leave the human brain when language skills are acquired, I don’t think it’s mere efficiency that led Ludmila to choose a visual medium over a linguistic medium. My hunch is that the aliens leave humans once they learn how to speak, and were encouraging of Ludmila’s visual communication, because they

believe their presence is made redundant with language. They think language can replace their presence because language is a social tool that connects one human to another. Ludmila, being an orphan, was especially prone to loneliness, and that’s why the aliens stayed with her even past her language acquisition. One of the aliens’ goal, then, might be a compassionate one of alleviating young humans’ loneliness until they acquire the linguistic skill to reach and connect with others.

This theme of loneliness also explains why the aliens take young humans’ memories with them when they leave.

The aliens, being refugees of a destroyed planet, are no strangers to loneliness themselves. They seem like emotionally sensitive creatures, and leaving a host after so many years might be difficult for them. So, taking the host’s memory might be one way of taking a piece of the host with them so their connection isn’t completely severed. Philosophers such as David Hume and John Locke write that personal identity is intimately tied to the memories we have. If they’re right, then the alien’s taking of human memory, and their ancestral home memory lingering upon the human mind, might be the result of the aliens’ desire to forestall mutual loneliness by keeping their connection alive, no matter how faint.

This brings us to our last cluster of questions about aliens’ and humans’ symbiotic relationship. Do the aliens benefit from “inculcating ethics and altruism in humans”? I want to suggest that the aliens are ultimately a compassion species, wishing to minimize human suffering because they know what it’s like to suffer. If they’re an altruistic species, then leaving behind their moral framework—their culture—would be one way to keep their species alive in the universe.

Their goal of moralizing humans might also be related to why they take away children’s memories. Encouraging the illusion that morality is a uniquely human characteristic and that humans are naturally good is helpful for moral cultivation. The philosopher Mengzi argued that recognizing and celebrating the moral potential within our hearts is the most effective way to develop virtue. Though early childhood memory loss is a loss for humans, the aliens might have calculated that the resulting good, thanks to the illusion that morality didn’t involve an external contribution, outweighs the harm.

I don’t want to reduce the story to neat “messages” that it has for the reader as that would be to overlook the active participation the story asks of the reader. But from the questions I’ve identified, themes surrounding language, memory, and loneliness-induced compassion provide a number of insights: memory and identity are closely connected; language is a powerful tool to overcome the loneliness of being confined within our own minds; and sometimes, the most altruistic agents are ones who have suffered before and are willing to help in unseen ways.

Humans have long thought that language and morality set them apart from other animals. Whether this is true or not, it is richly thought-provoking to entertain the possibility of compassionate refugee aliens who are invested in the overall moral arc of the universe despite their own suffering— and there lies one virtue of “Symbiosis Theory.”

Hannah Kim, Saint Paul, MN adult essay division, first place I heard about this competition while researching about sijo (I think the Sejong Cultural Society does a fantastic job raising awareness of it!). I'm a philosophy professor, so I was delighted to read a short story that seemed to invite questioning as a form of reading that lets us engage with the work at the deepest level. I think we lose out on literature's richness when we focus solely on "what it tells us."

My work is mostly on philosophy of fiction, and I'm beginning to turn my attention to North Korean philosophy and aesthetics as well.

I respect academics who hold fast to their sense of wonder and humility, and I hope to write and teach in a manner that would inspire those values in others, too.

Adult Essay Division - Winning Entries

Second place

Matthew Mills Danielsville, GA

Title: Choyeop Kim's "Symbiosis Theory" and Korean Reunification.

In Choyeop Kim’s “Symbiosis Theory,” the character's familiarity and rememory of Ludmila’s planet signal towards a yearning for reunification between North and South Korea. The story’s main characters – Hannah and Soobin – represent distinctly unique characteristics that could signal the divide among North and South Korean ideologies. Throughout the story, Hannah allows herself to think freely upon the results of their scientific study, not rejecting any possibilities based on any form of established social order. However, when Hannah expresses her results to Soobin, she says, “It’s as if multiple beings coexist inside the infant’s brain… I extracted the interoperations that showed p repeatedly and then sorted them out.” Hannah believed her speculation was “accurate, and inside the infant's brain, they existed.” The narrator described Hannah’s speculation as “radicalleaning” and went as far as to “offend other’s sensibilities.” Hannah’s “radical” views become scientific and political, something that can be read as a threat towards Soobin as radicalization may transform fundamental systems in society. Soobin presents a strong contrast, not allowing herself to speculate any possibility that could go against the already established common understanding of the science. When Hannah claims multiple beings are in the infant's heads, Soobin brushes it off, saying, “it must have been noise in the date.” The narrator claims Soobin “spares the team Hannah’s lunacy.”Further, Soobin remained steadfast in her belief that “everything might still turn out to be a massive decoding error.” Despite the evidence that Soobin sees, her dismissal of such evidence implies confidence in a state educational structure and societal systems that have long been in place. Thus, Hannah’s ability to let herself speculate and think freely could suggest a South Korean ideology, while Soobin’s refusal to speculate beyond the accepted understanding could suggest a postdemocratization of South Korean ideology.

The central conflict in the story surrounds Hannah and Soobin’s ability to understand the symbiotic coexistence between the “them” and the infant brain of a human. Hannah discovers that coexistence exists from an infant’s age until they turn seven years old. While the “them” and humans are seemingly different, the symbiotic coexistence could prove to be a home for the past understanding of a united Korean within the character’s minds. Hannah notes that “symbiotic coexistence didn’t always involve a mutually beneficial relationship earlier in the story. In some cases, one party benefited while the other was unaffected, and in others, one party actively harmed its partner for a unilateral gain.” This creates an understanding of the two nations viewing each other as partners in a larger global state, likely the author’s response to the policies enacted in the last three decades – starting from South Korea’s first attempt at partnership through their Sunshine Policy (Robinson 165) to the current state of communications between the two nations under South Korea’s Unification Ministry (Kwon). These policies are aimed at making North and South Korea better neighbors with one another, actively

participating in conversations about policies to increase trade and better relations between each other. While the two nation's cohabitation of the Korean Peninsula is a complicated arrangement, the two understand the shared past and land as linking the two into a more significant global state.

This ultimately asks readers to investigate Ludmila and her ability to coexist with foreign beings past the age of seven. Ludmila created an art exhibit called Never Leave Me, which the narrator claims was her “begging them not to leave her. Not to take away from her their world and its splendor. Please, oh, please to stay with her forever.” Though many saw this art as a distant creative expression, the result of Hannah and Soobin’s work shows that her planet was the memory of a past that was real. The narrator tells readers, “in every practical sense, she had visited the planet – through them – with whom she’d shared a brain all her life.” Ludmila becomes an agent of remembering something lost but critical to the existence of the foreign beings. The narrator says, “perhaps they just wanted someone in their adoptive plant to carry its memory, even if all the rest lived in blissful ignorance.” While the humans are entirely separated from the planet when the foreign subjects leave their brains, Ludmila’s planet becomes a manifestation of a literal planet. If the planet serves as a state whose memory once united the two people now divided, it forces readers to question the reasons for the foreign subject’s division from their former residence within the human brain.

This coexistence is the driving force in creating her artwork which causes a response of familiarity among viewers. Her artwork is described as “utterly real and completely imaginary,” signaling towards something that seems distant but strangely familiar. The familiarity that the characters feel is a result of their distant symbiosis, as Soobin thinks, “a wholly amorphous memory, flickering at the edge of our consciousness, without ever vanishing completely. It was our vague yearning for those who had shaped us into what we are.” The characters being to understand the implications of this finding within themselves, as they once knew of a place where they coexisted with a now understood foreign being: a unified Korea. As Soobin begins to understand the past coexistence that happened in her head, she feels something “somehow like a longing… for someone she’d never met before.” Her ability to “reremember” the past – through the image of Ludmila’s planet – drives her longing to bring back the coexistence that existed among the beings who now understand each other as foreign subjects. Thus, the artwork of Ludmila’s planet – as a result of the coexistence – becomes more than just a distant fictional artistic expression, but a memory that brings a yearning for a united Korea where all Koreans can coexist in a tradition known before the divide.

Works Cited Kim, Choyeop. “Symbiosis Theory,” translated by Joungmin Lee Comfort. Clarkesworld Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine, January 2019, https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/choyeop_12_19/.

Kwon, Jake. “North Korea Reopens Communication and Military Hotline with South.” CNN, 4 October 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/03/asia/north-korea-south-korea-intl/index.html. Accessed 26 October 2021.

Robinson, Michael Edson. Korea’s Twentieth Century Odyssey. E-book, University of Hawaii Press, 2007.

Matthew Mills, Danielsville, GA adult essay division, second place My name is Matthew Mills, and I am a senior English major at Emmanuel College. Next year, I will be enrolling in graduate school to get my MA in Literary Studies with a concentration in Post-1900 Literature.

I heard about this competition from a professor, Dr. Paul Petrovic, in a World Literature Seminar that focused on Korean Literature from the 20th century to the present contemporary moment.

While writing this essay, I learned in greater depth the social and ideological complexities regarding the reunification of North and South Korea, both historically and in the contemporary political moment.

Some of my hobbies include reading and writing, playing tennis, traveling, going to concerts, binging K-dramas, and going to my local independent theatre to watch indie and foreign films.

My personal hero is Oscar Wilde for his exuberant personality, quintessential wit, beautiful literary works, and his refusal to stop challenging societal formalities and human morality within Victorian Britain amidst cultural and legal persecution. In the future, I hope to continue my studies of Literature and Film in an academic setting, wherever that may take me.

Essay Category

SENIOR division

Senior Essay Division - Topic Senior division (grade 9th – 12th) Topic:Topic: "The Girl in the Cylinder” (2019) by Choyeop Kim The Girl in the Cylinder - Read the story at ISSUU.com site (available to read during the current competition) Prompts: The story might be classified as dystopian, but it is also a story of an unlikely friendship. As the plot unfolds, it concretely illustrates many abstract ideas, as Kim says. What are some of these abstract ideas that get dramatized?

How does Kim deliver a thematic message through the drama of this story? Is there a particular message to be found in the story, or is it more a matter of emotion and tone?

PROMPT for “The Girl in the Cylinder” “The Girl in the Cylinder” is more plot-oriented than many of Kim’s other stories, but it still demonstrates her approach to dramatizing themes she finds important. The story might be classified as dystopian, but it is also a story of an unlikely friendship. As the plot unfolds, it concretely illustrates many abstract ideas, as Kim says. What are some of these abstract ideas that get dramatized? How does Kim deliver a thematic message through the drama of this story?

Is there a particular message to be found in the story, or is it more a matter of emotion and tone?

About the author: Kim Choyeop holds a BA in chemistry and an MA in biochemistry from Pohang University of Science and Technology.

She launched her literary career in 2017 when two of her stories won the grand and runner-up prizes at the 2017 Korean SF Awards. She then went on to win the Today’s Writer Award in 2019 and her debut short story collection, If We Can’t Go at the Speed of Light, was a record-breaking bestseller in South Korea. Kim is 28, which is relatively young for a writer, and that—along with her subject matter and forthright personality—is probably one of the reasons she is so popular among young readers. Kim has said that she enjoys converting abstract ideas, such as memory, emotion, consciousness, and relationships into concrete form. She wants to write about the abstractions of life in a concrete and scientific language while discovering new questions in the process.

Senior Division Winners: first place – Hannah Adams second place – Elena Davis third place – Emerson Kang honorable mentions - Jocelyn Burgess, Brian Pae, Brodie Sheridan

Senior Essay Division - Winning Entries

first place

Hannah Adams Maple Glen, PA

9th grade, (Jason Fritz) Upper Dublin High School Renowned South Korean author Choyeop Kim once revealed in a Literature Translation Institute of Korea interview that, “Quite a few of my short novels are structured like a process of searching for answers to certain questions….” Similar to many of her novels, Kim’s dystopian short story “The Girl In The Cylinder” is structured as two characters seeking answers to the questions: “How does one find hope and joy despite limitations?” and “How does one navigate an increasingly technological world?”. Kim’s main characters, Jiyu and Noah, embody and dramatize the abstract ideas of isolation, loneliness, comfort, and friendship, specifically through their dialogue and societal conflict, and the answers they seek emerge thematically, as the characters imagine and create new possibilities for each other.

In order to initiate the search for answers, Kim uses her protagonist. Her story opens with Jiyu, a girl who must wear a cylinder-shaped protector outdoors because she is allergic to air-roids, a technology that regulates climate change and controls natural disasters (Kim 4-5). Because of air-roids’ prevalence in society, Jiyu must wear protective gear whenever outside. However, Jiyu dislikes the cylinder because she believes the device makes her lesser in status, particularly from others’ perspective. Walking down the street, she struggles with how to respond to the looks of passersby. Flummoxed, “[... Jiyu has] no idea how to react or what facial expression to make when someone on the street [looks] at her with their sad eyes full of pity” (Kim 3). Jiyu cannot connect with people because they cannot “see” past the cylinder, and Jiyu cannot “see” her way out of her current situation. Because of her disconnect with society, Jiyu makes no friends, causing her pain. Kim uses the cylinder as an ironic symbol of Jiyu’s loneliness and isolation, as the “protector” ultimately emotionally harms Jiyu, intensifying Jiyu’s desperation to find hope and joy despite her limitations.

Kim introduces the ideas of friendship and comfort in the character of Noah whose name aptly means comfort in Hebrew. Feeling especially isolated, Jiyu meets Noah, a similarly-alienated sentient clone confined to an incubator at the weather department where he manages air-roids. Jiyu has accidentally broken an air-roid, so Noah and she agree to repair it rather than tell Noah’s boss and make Jiyu pay for the sprinkler. Through this situation, Jiyu and Noah become friends. As they plan to repair the sprinkler, Jiyu realizes that, “[...For] some strange reason– she [feels] comfortable around Noah” (Kim 11). Through Noah’s and Jiyu’s dialogue, Kim dramatizes the abstract idea of comfort, enabling readers to see the characters’ burgeoning sense of what they can provide each other. After keeping the broken air-roid a secret, when the two characters converse again, they are more at ease. Jiyu even jokes with Noah, “‘What? You’re following me around just in case I break another sprinkler?’” (Kim 13). The leisurely way Noah and Jiyu banter with each other concretizes the idea of comfort.

Through uniting her main characters, Kim establishes the answers to the questions about overcoming limitations and navigating a technological world. The unfamiliar feelings that are helping Jiyu diminish her isolation and loneliness are those of hope and joy, of imagination and creativity.

Through her story’s ending, Kim fully fleshes out the answers. Now aware of how Noah has helped her escape alienation and despair, Jiyu helps Noah escape the weather station. Since Noah is able to control the weather through his job, he creates a sunshower (raining while the sun is out) as a gift for Jiyu (Kim 21). Rain disables the air-roids temporarily, so Jiyu can go outside. Noah’s gift is an opportunity for Jiyu to leave the cylinder. As Jiyu experiences the downpour, she remembers, “[...] how she’d joked to Noah that she would love to step out of her protector and sunbathe one day. [...] Noah must have remembered her dream” (Kim 21). Here, Kim brings readers face to face with her theme, as Jiyu sheds the cylinder (her isolation and loneliness), as a result of friendship. Furthermore, Jiyu and Noah never meet in person, only communicating through speakers, so they do not know what the other looks like. After Jiyu frees Noah from the weather station, Noah leaves to seek out his own destiny, and Jiyu never hears from him again because he is in an unknown location. This departure makes the characters’ relationship more impactful because distance doesn’t matter. Only personality does: Jiyu is sarcastic, and Noah is easygoing. Kim accentuates the impact of human connection through the characters’ final interaction. When it becomes time for Noah to leave, Jiyu, “[... feels] happy, imagining the life that Noah [will] finally be able to live” (Kim 20). Furthermore, Jiyu understands that her friendship with Noah has given her not only a sunshower, but also hope. She, “[... begins] to believe that one day, she too [will] live in a place of her own choosing” (Kim 20). Jiyu’s epiphany is important because she believes in a future that defies her current circumstances and allows her to live with determined optimism. The way Kim portrays this special friendship punctuates the idea that more human connections are needed in order to improve one’s quality of life.

In a world where the possibility of continuously-advancing technology reaching a point where it could potentially curb or even eliminate global warming increasingly exists, Kim’s dystopian world of “The Girl In The Cylinder” resonates with readers, and the idea that such problem-solving technology could ironically create more problems resonates even more. While social media unifies, it also divides, for instance, today. Choyeop Kim holds up a future mirror for all of us to consider ourselves in the present, for all of us to acknowledge our basic feelings and desires for authentic human connection despite “progress”. When we interact with each other in the manner of Jiyu and Noah, we can form something special and positively transform each other’s life.

Hannah Adams senior division, first place My name is Hannah Adams and I am a freshman at Upper Dublin High School.

My hobbies include playing violin, piano, and reading. I heard about the Sejong Writing Competition through my teacher, who had received an email about it.

Writing this essay provided unique challenges that transformed me into a better writer, including how to analyze literature on a deeper level.

My personal hero is my grandfather, who endured many hardships in both Korea and America. My personal goal is to travel to Korea and experience my heritage.

Senior Essay Division - Winning Entries

second place

Elena Davis Centerville, VA

9thh grade, (Stephanie Oden) Centerville High School

Title: Sunshower: The Story of Noah and Jiyu Told Through a Classic Folk Tale As a young child, whenever the sun would shine and the rain would fall at the same time, my mother would gaze up at the sky and say, “the tiger is getting married today.” I once asked her what it meant, and she told me a story about a cloud that was in love with a fox. However, as it was a love crossed in the stars, the fox met a tiger and the two fell in love. During the tiger’s wedding day, the cloud - feeling shattered - began to weep while its tears fell from the sky. As the sun shone brightly over the wedding ceremony, rainfall softly pitter-pattered on all attending. It was a joyous occasion for one, but heartbreaking for another. A “sunshower” is what this meteorological phenomenon is called, when the rain and sun embrace and create a truly unique spectacle. For many, it represents a soft, bittersweet sort of emotion. Although the story behind each sunshower is a sorrowful one, being caught in the middle can be, like Jiyu stated, “really, an amazing feeling”.

In 'The Girl in the Cylinder', Choyeop Kim writes about a young woman allergic to the world around her. It’s a story much like “The Tiger’s Wedding Day”. When first reading Kim’s story, it felt like a modern twist on the classic folktale, yet a twist that conveyed sincere and thought-provoking messages that the original did not.

These ideas were skillfully expressed through the thorough development of the story’s characters and events, and oftentimes I would find myself itching to enter the story myself. Admittedly, there were instances where I felt distrusting of Noah and had an urge to tell Jiyu, “Run away! You don’t know who he is!”. Reading the story for the first time, I sat composedly on the other side of the computer screen, but eventually, my mind scrambled across the air-roid-topia, clicking “next page” until my fingers felt sore. The characters, welcoming and relatable, made me feel as if I was living out their adventure right next to them. An author requires a truly deft touch to be able to place the readers alongside the characters, and that is exactly what Kim did in 'The Girl in the Cylinder'.

Jiyu and Noah developed a friendship that blossomed from a shared experience. Living in an “ideal” city, Jiyu felt like a singular cloud in a clear, blue sky. With meeting Noah, the fox, whose presence was homely and pleasant, her loneliness fizzled out day by day. Contrary to what one would believe about an “ideal” city full of “ideal” people, only one person felt like a “safe haven” to someone as unideal as Jiyu. Out of every perfect soul populating a flawlessly constructed society, only one person felt like an escape, someone who made her feel like it was okay to not be perfect. Jiyu, restricted by a glass cylinder her entire life, was understood by Noah, stuck behind a restrictive cylinder of his own. Although at first he seemed a bit too interested in Jiyu’s life, she slowly

came to a realization that he was the only one who was sincerely interested at all. With Noah, imperfection was accepted. With Noah, the cylindrical barrier became nothing more than a mere fence in the distance, one Jiyu could jump over with her own two feet. From breaking and fixing sprinklers, to breaking and fixing each other, the two learned how to trust, and how not to. What was once a nuisance slowly developed into someone she’d never had before: a friend.

Choyeop Kim writes of humanity, all the while developing characters not conventionally seen as “human”. It’s a beautiful message of having flaws, yet loving people that make you feel comfortable in your own skin. Through developing Jiyu and Noah, Kim is able to reach the hearts of the audience and dramatize messages relatable to all. In Choyeop Kim’s version of “The Tiger’s Wedding Day” we witness our cloud, Jiyu, and our fox, Noah, grow close only to drift apart, just like in the original. Only in this story, we begin to develop a deeper understanding of why the cloud loved the fox so much - Jiyu felt happy around Noah. She felt accepted, able to converse about her flaws and imperfections freely. We learn the ups and downs of friendship, and why the loss of a lovable fox took the toll that it did. When Noah decided he wanted to leave, there was no doubt that Jiyu would have felt betrayed. Maybe he loved the idea of a new life in the city more than he loved his friendship with Jiyu. However, one thing was certain; when Jiyu talked, Noah listened. That sunshower was a symbol of his acceptance of her just Jiyu as Jiyu. It was the greatest gift she’d ever received.

In 'The Girl in the Cylinder', Choyeop Kim writes about imperfection, friendship and loss. She writes about the hardships of life, and how the right people can make you feel as if you’re stuck in a sunshower of your own caught in the cross between warmth and sorrow. Now, during those rare occasions where the sun shines warmly and the rain falls softly, I can begin to gaze up at the sky and say, “Noah and Jiyu started their new lives today.”

With Choyeop Kim’s adaptation, we can begin to appreciate just why the cloud loved the fox in the first place.

Just for a moment, a moment when the sun and rain aligned, Jiyu was free to be Jiyu. Noah had left, but a ray of hope was still present. Toes soaked, hair drenched, and skin hit by sunbeams, the cloud didn’t care about the curious looks given to her by strangers that offered their umbrellas. She just held onto the hope that maybe the fox wasn’t gone for good. Maybe they would meet again, in a world where they could both be whoever they wanted to be.

Elena Davis senior division, second place

My name is Elena Davis, and I am a 9th grader at Centreville High School. I first heard about the Sejong essay competition from my mother, who suggested that I enter and learn more about Korean culture. When reading the short story by Choyeop Kim, I was immediately intrigued and wanted to share what I had to say about it. The story reminded me of old Korean folk tales I had heard as a child, and inspired me to delve deeper into Korean literature. Through the book’s characters, I learned how to persevere in adversity, as well as how to put my trust in the foundational relationships around me.

In my free time, I like to spend time with my mom. I love to watch movies, play games, and cook yummy foods with her. My mother is my hero, as she consistently encourages me to become a better person. She urges me to jump at any opportunities that I can, and without her strong-willed support, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. In the future, I would love to pursue journalism or literature. I have a love for storytelling, and I hope to utilize it throughout my life.

Senior Essay Division - Winning Entries

third place

Emerson Kang Paramus, NJ

10th Grade (Abbey Morgan) Dwight-Englewood School Title: The Human Cost of Technology Holding a Biochemistry degree, Choyeop Kim, author of “The Girl in the Cylinder,” clearly uses her scientific background to add realism to her fictional piece. Moreover, as a relatively young writer, Kim possesses a modern awareness of the world that adds further realism to the society she creates. In her novel, Kim successfully dramatizes the duality of the relationship between technology and society. While technology clearly isolates both protagonists Jiyu and Noah from the rest of society, it also initiates their meeting and ultimate friendship.

Despite not having met each other physically ever in the story, Jiyu and Noah form a deep relationship centered around the mutual marginalization they suffer at the hands of a technologically-advanced society. True to her scientific background and her modern awareness, Kim delivers a compelling message about technology and society -- as we enjoy new advancements, we must consider the consequences they may have on our humanity.

Kim’s use of the marginalized protagonist’s viewpoint clearly describes the current situation as one which benefits the majority of society. Indeed, Jiyu’s circumstances are obviously tragic to the reader, but Kim does not spare the emotions of the larger society as she describes their perspective on air-roids, a new technology developed to “combat climate change…pollution,” as a “gift from god” (Kim, page 4). After their safety (for the majority) had been verified, many innovations in air-roids took off, with their abilities ranging from “air purifiers” to “weather forecasts” that were completely accurate to reducing “pollution” to even being able to command “forces of nature like floods…and…typhoons” (Page 5). With such a divine gift that would help humanity to no end, it looked truly as if mankind’s command over the earth and their societies was absolute.

However, such a general picture glosses over the fact that such technological advancements directly lead to the creation of new ostracized groups, which Kim says is not a fair trade. Jiyu, the female protagonist, is “a small minority of the population [who] showed adverse reactions to the air-roids—Jiyu was one of the few…specifically allergic to beta- protein…of air-roids” (Page 5-6). Kim uses Jiyu to clearly dramatize the abstract concept of marginalization as the cylinder she is put in is a physical representation of her isolation from the rest of society.

Jiyu’s entire circumstance is a result of the rapid technological advancements of society, which Kim warns about.

Kim agrees that some did consider the air roids to be a gift “from god” but also uses Jiyu’s voice to continue and say that is “a rather foolish idea” as “[they] transformed the entire planet”, rather “their creation [was] a mistake” (Page 4). Here, Kim clearly establishes a central message which warns against the supposed benefits of fast innovating and advancing technology in the world today. It also draws a parallel between the populace’s reaction to the air-roids and the world's reaction to new technology, eagerly jumping over the few who would

adversely be affected in favor of serving the majority.

Additionally, Kim continues her style of questioning in drawing attention to the human cost of technological improvements.

Moreover, Kim introduces her next controversial topic of bioethics via her second protagonist: Noah. Noah is “a medical clone”, one of many developed for “organ transplants” with their original doppelgangers (Page 15). But Noah is not just any clone; he is “a detective one [with a brain]”, something not common in clones developed just to house organs for their original body. And while clone scientists did take “strict precautions to ensure that the clones did not develop a brain”, Noah was an anomaly who needed to be silenced because the “moment a clone developed a brain and becomes sentient…it is impossible to legally distinguish one from a real human being” (Page 15). Thus, Noah also knows the shame of ostracization, being locked away in a secret facility and only interacting with others through a camera, never knowing true companionship until he meets Jiyu. More importantly, the true reason for his confinement is because of the fear of an intense bioethical debate of which Noah is at the heart, questioning whether or not clones could ever be considered as equal to humans. Kim continues asking questions about the consequences of technological advancement by examining the true essence of a human.

The culmination of both themes can be seen as Kim explores the unique relationship of her two protagonists.

Their friendship is one where until the last few days of their relationship, Jiyu did not know Noah’s “identity” nor “where to find [him]” as they only communicated through a camera and speaker, much like today (Page 12).

However, there is no doubt they form a unique bond, which is stronger than either possessed before. When they stop communicating, it is clear they miss each other, and their relationship only deepened when Jiyu learns of Noah’s origins, and it is then that she “finally understood” why Noah never looked down on her, for he “was just like her” living in his own box. Their friendship is so strong that Jiyu willingly risks her life and infiltrates a compound facility to free her friend, and she felt such a deep “sense of emptiness” and “loneliness” after his escape (page 13). Thus, Kim’s warnings of the advancements of tech and bioengineering come to a head in the relationship between her two protagonists, two lonely people who never see each other but form an uncanny bond through technology.

Ultimately, Kim’s story is one which showcases the amazing benefits of technology and how that often leads to the overlooking of the few who cannot reap them, leading to ostracization. Moving forward, Kim seems to suggest that we need to be much more careful regarding technology with bio-ethical implications and also whether we should sacrifice the minority in such a scenario, never overwriting one's agency or humanity. As we continue to use tech in our lives for our most pressing problems, we must take steps to ensure there is no tradeoff with our humanity.

Emerson Kang senior division, third place I heard about Sejong through an upper-classman at my school. While looking into the essay prompt and its stipulations, the idea of embracing my identity and self-discovery through this competition resonated with me. While writing my essay I learned much about myself, namely my interest in analyzing literary themes, and their conjunction with Korean values and ideals.

I like to vary my hobbies and interests and take part in debate, golf, reading, and art.

My personal hero is my mother who was the person who taught me the value of research and advocacy skills as an immigration lawyer.

In the future, I plan to be in public policy as a lawyer, serving as an advocate for Korean-Americans.

Senior Essay Division - Winning Entries

Honorable mention Friend of the Pacific Rim Award

Jocelyn Burgess Scottsdale, AZ (Jo Markette) Coronado High School

Title: The Importance of Social Inclusion In this dystopian literature, The Girl in the Cylinder, author Choyeop Kim reflects social issues seen today, such as discrimination through a fictional scenario. Through her characters Jiyu and Noah, Kim represents the importance of individualism by illustrating the effects of being alienated because of one’s differences. While mainly reflecting individualism, Kim represents its importance while also touching on the rise of technology and surveillance that could arise in our future. The purpose of this story is to bring awareness to the emotional damage alienating differences creates in humanity. If society continues to isolate one’s differences, we will all become lonely together.

In the beginning of her story, Kim describes the irritation Jiyu feels when people stare at her. Others gawking at her difference bothers her so much that she yells out “it’s so annoying” (p.1) to a crowd of people to emphasize this is a normal occurrence that she is tired of. Her irritation is significant because her feelings give the reader insight to their society of people who avoid differences--which sounds similar to our society today.

Instead of working to include one’s differences, people in society isolate them by staring, laughing, ignoring, talking behind one’s back, and not welcoming them into our groups. Cullen states that the only way to achieve social inclusion is “if the differences between people are acknowledged and enjoyed” (Cullen, 2008, p.2) instead of ignored and pitied in order to create a happier community. Kim depicts Jiyu’s loneliness in a city full of people to bring awareness to our lack of prioritizing social inclusion. If society continues to favor similarities and dismiss differences, we will all obtain the feeling of loneliness like Jiyu. The rejection of differences in our communities will create isolation of our unique characteristics.

Furthermore, Noah , who serves as another character within the story, served as another character in her story that depicted the negative effects of alienating one because of their differences. Noah was a human clone imprisoned in an incubator for life because he became sentient, thus causing his desire to escape society in order to be free and live happily with his abnormalities. This reflects how real people today feel when their different characteristics are forced to live in an incubator as well. Today, cancel culture is our equivalent to Noah’s incubator. Although freedom of speech is a natural right and a “healthy liberal virtue…it [is] also regarded as problematic” (Norris, 2020, p.3) within society's standards. If we continue to refute physical, intellectual, cultural, and personality differences, people will seek to escape from their communities.

Similar to Noah, people do not want to be trapped in an incubator of declination.

Noah’s differences were encapsulated for so long that he didn’t want to be a part of a society that was unaccepting of him anymore. We cannot imprison each other's differences because they are uncomfortable to us, or else people will want to break free due to the feeling of loneliness created by rejection. If society continues to isolate one’s differences, we will all become lonely together and want to disappear like Noah.

Moreover, Kim brings awareness to the fact that accepting what makes each other different and unique will ironically bring us closer together. Although Jiyu and Noah were both alienated for their differences, they found comfort in each other because they accepted their distinctive qualities. The author is relaying to their readers that if we too confide in each other and accept one another’s differences, we will create a comforting society. In the story, Jiyu came to her own realization that Noah did not take pity or ignore her like everyone else because he was different from the social norm as well. Noah accepted Jiyu’s abnormalities that the rest of society didn’t and created a true friendship between the two.

The author depicted two paths of how to combat the lack of social inclusion in society–we must choose the one reflecting Noah and Jiyu choosing each other for who they were. Noah and Jiyu felt lonely without each other because they had no one to accept them; once they found each other to welcome each other’s contrasts, they were then happy. Our society could be happier if we too were to stop alienating those who have different opinions than us, a different skin color, or a different personality than us. Kim illustrates the value of individualism to bring awareness to the damage a society without it can cause.

In conclusion, Kim takes on the societal idea of accepting each other for their unique qualities instead of denying each other for their differences in order to obtain a comforting society. This is extremely relevant today within society’s “cancel culture” where differences within opinions are not accepted. Cancel culture creates an extreme amount of negativity due to the hurtful comments one receives who shares their thoughts that differ from others. If it continues to escalate, everyone will be afraid to share their own individual opinions and conform to whatever society expects them to. Society cannot let each boy and girl become Jiyu and Noah themselves, where the feelings of loneliness consume them until they accept one another for their abnormalities. Valuing individualism and accepting each other’s differences will bring us closer together.

References Accepting other people's differences. People's Differences - Be United. (n.d.). Retrieved January 11, 2022, from https://www.be-utd.org/accepting_differences.html Norris, P. (2020). Closed Minds? Is a ‘Cancel Culture’Stifling Academic Freedom and Intellectual Debate in Political Science? from https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3671026

Jocelyn Burgess

senior division, honorable mention

My name is Jocelyn Burgess, and I am a graduating senior at Coronado High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. I am passionate about lacrosse and enjoy painting occasionally.

My love for sports has translated into my desire to become a physical therapist in the future. I plan to study kinesiology at Northern Arizona University.

My English teacher, Dr. Jo Markette, granted my class the opportunity to participate in this contest, and this experience has taught me the importance of writing and reading beyond the classroom.

Choyeop Kim’s writing allowed me to apply the theme of avoiding judgment of others ito the real world.

Senior Essay Division - Winning Entries

Honorable mention

Friend of the Pacific Rim Award

Brian Pae

New York, NY 10th grade, (Connie Lim) Collegiate School

In this unprecedented era of pandemic isolation, social distancing, and masking, the main themes of Choyeop Kim’s The Girl in the Cylinder are fitting. Some, such as the US surgeon general, posit that the coronavirus pandemic has triggered a loneliness epidemic, with new research from Harvard psychologists suggesting an increase in feelings of social isolation, especially among older teens and young adults. Most teens and young adults can relate in some capacity to loneliness, as they are in that awkward transition period of adolescence, in limbo between childhood and adulthood. The theme of loneliness has been explored throughout various pieces of literature, with the more prominent ranging from Mark Twain’s Huck Finn and J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye to Cervantes’ Don Quixote and Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man of the Sea. The Girl in the Cylinder by Choyeop Kim focuses on (among other themes) the abstract concepts of loneliness. This essay attempts to analyze how the forms of loneliness are depicted in the novel through the main character, Jiyu Moon, and her relationship with her foil, Noah. Jiyu’s loneliness is found to be a complex four forms of loneliness that she experiences throughout her life: aloneness, loneliness, isolation, and alienation. Jiyu’s loneliness is overcome when she fortuitously builds an albeit brief but strong relationship with a genetic clone named Noah, giving Jiyu a glimmer of hope and freedom. In The Girl in the Cylinder, a short story about the bond of two people alienated from a seemly perfect society, acclaimed sci-fi writer Choyeop Kim reveals the profound power of hope and friendship in the face of isolation, an endearing message particularly applicable in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Kim's sci-fi novel depicts the story of Jiyu and Noah, two characters who live starkly different lives, and yet both have to live a rather alienated daily life in a futuristic city due to differing circumstances. ‘Air-roids', manmade aerosol nanobots initially developed to combat pollution-caused climate change, float in the air of the city due to an accidental release. It was later determined that the nanobots posed no health risks to the general public, and actually had new applications, such as 100% accurate weather forecasts, control over floods and typhoons, the reduction of pollution, and even the removal of greenhouse gasses. However, a small minority of the public displayed adverse reactions to the air- roids, with Jiyu being an extreme case. Due to her condition, Jiyu began to garner much attention and interest, eventually leading to a company developing and donating a cylindrical vehicle called a 'Protector' to Jiyu in exchange for being a subject of a documentary.

Jiyu, who began to ride in the transparent cylindrical vehicle, became famous due to the documentary and became known as the 'girl in the cylinder'.

Kim cleverly uses the ‘Protector’ as both a metaphor for Jiyu’s societal alienation caused by the combination of her condition and the release of the air-roids, and as a physical barrier preventing any form of communication or socialization. Jiyu’s feelings about the ‘protector’ are mixed, as those same feelings apply in the broader sense to her opinions toward sympathy and belonging in the city. As Kim puts it, “Jiyu didn’t dislike her city,

but she often dreamed about living in a city without air-roids. She felt conflicted. City people, although nice and friendly, are always a bit distant and the people of her city were no different.” In a city with people primarily focused on their own lives, the plastic vehicle she is forced to spend her daily outside life in certainly does not help foster the deep interpersonal relationships vital to overall physical and emotional happiness.

Furthermore, her allergy to the synthetic compound beta-proteinin, alienates her perspective from the average citizen; clearly, to the majority of her city, “Her city was ‘ideal’ - a city that received just enough sun, just enough rain, a city that sparkled the day after a rainfall,” but clearly it “was also a city not meant for Jiyu.” These air-roids which are actively pumped into the air benefit most of the city in various ways, however, are deadly to Jiyu, and thus even though “she had lived there her entire life, [...] she was forever a foreigner to it.”

Both Jiyu and Noah are alienated from society, physically and socially. Noah was a medical clone; more specifically, Noah was a defective clone who developed a brain and became sentient. By law, clones like Noah who had developed sentience were either exiled or forced to give up their rights to their body and exist only as a mind connected virtually to the world. Without an actual body, Noah was limited and alienated only to the virtual world, and was not allowed to socially integrate into society. Through both Noah and Jiyu’s shared perspectives on being alienated from society, they are able to bond over shared experiences and favors after they meet circumstantially. Jiyu is initially drawn to Noah because there is immediately something different about him from everyone else: “it was [her] first [time] when she encountered this voice that wasn’t familiar with her or her protector.” She is so used to being judged and known by everyone in her daily life that someone who doesn’t know who she is is refreshing. Technological advances, although beneficial to the general public, are not taking everyone to a more comfortable world. Both Jiyu and Noah have been made victims of technological advancement. They initially met through technology and developed a friendship as that bond that drew each other into the wider world. Their solidarity created by Noah's escape scene is touching because they ripped apart the world in which they live in the way they were alienated from technology. Noah's escape from all the societal barriers and loneliness deeply inspired Jiyu and imparted a different perspective on her outlook. Although simultaneously saddened and joyous about Noah’s departure and escape to freedom, Jiyu does acknowledge her realistic situation, noting that she cannot just leave behind her parents and school. However, she “began to believe that one day, she would live in a place of her own choosing.”

The Girl in the Cylinder challenges readers to think more deeply about the flaws and issues in society; most importantly, however, it explores how we can combat loneliness in this unprecedented era and defy the odds through the solidarity we find in human relationships. Through the heartwarming story about two characters escaping from loneliness through their bond with each other, Kim sheds light on the loneliness caused by physical isolation and societal alienation and provides hope for freedom, a message more applicable today than ever. The book containing Kim’s collection of short stories concludes with the 'Writer's Words' section, where she hopes, "I wish I could meet a future where no one is lonely."

Brian Pae senior division, honorable mention

My name is Brian Pae and I am currently a sophomore at Collegiate School in New York City. My hobbies include fencing, golf, skiing, basketball, debate, listening to music, and reading.

Initially, I was very intrigued after reading Choyeop Kim’s heartwarming sci-fi narrative “Girl in the Cylinder.” Under closer examination, the themes of friendship and loneliness -- ideas especially relevant in the era of the Coronavirus pandemic -- shine through Kim’s compelling storytelling, which in turn raises various moral and ethical dilemmas. In a world where technology is evolving at an exponential rate, this story provides a new perspective on the small group of people marginalized by such technologies.

I am inspired by my grandparents, who have taught me much about what I know about Korean culture.

In the future, I hope to continue to pursue my enjoyments in reading and writing, and widen my perspective through other forms of Korean literature and art.

Finally, I am very grateful to all my past and current English teachers who have helped sharpen my writing skills and foster my enjoyment of reading and writing.

Senior Essay Division - Winning Entries

Honorable mention

Friend of the Pacific Rim Award

Brodie Sheridan Tempe, AZ

12th grade, (Jo Markette) Coronado High School

Title: Plastic Walls of the Internet Jiyu, the main character from the short story The Girl in the Cylinder by Choyeop Kim, spends the entirety of her life trapped in a Cylinder –similar to how the majority of our current population spend their whole lives held prisoner by their phones. While Jiyu is physically unable to make contact with the outside world, we choose to subject ourselves to our own prisons –in the forms of internet personas, misleading information, and government controlled media– that prevent us from actually being able to live our lives.

Always being looked at and judged because of the cylinder that encapsulates her Jiyu lives her whole life selfconsciously. Jiyu is an outsider looking in on the city and the people who live in it, but unable to make connections with those just out of arm's reach. Similarly, we choose to place our minds in social media and live self-consciously, while looking outwards towards other people’s fabricated lives with feelings of jealousy or envy. The cylinders we choose to live in divide us from what’s actually happening in front of us, and prevent us from living our lives. As said by Duffy et. al, (2018), “Social media users are routinely counseled to cultivate their online personae with acumen and diligence” (abstract), which means that everyone is constantly on their device trying to make impressions on other people’s lives for no more than a short dose of satisfaction from being acknowledged. Our lack of real connection with those around us is what keeps us from realizing the toxic plastic prison we place ourselves in.

Eventually, Jiyu finds solace in someone she comes into contact with after accidentally breaking an air-roid sprinkler. Even though she can’t see or imagine him, she is comforted by the connection they share, and the thought of finally having a friend. Subconsciously, we gravitate towards people that are similar to us, even online where “much recent information appearing on social media is dubious and, in some cases, intended to mislead” (Zhang et. al, abstract). Jiyu grows attached not to Noah, but the thought of Noah, and the vision she thought of when he spoke to her. Many people are misled by those they think they know online, but really are just unnecessary distractions that prevent us from actually living in the real world in front of us. Like many people on the internet, Noah got what he needed from Jiyu, and vanished.

The city that Jiyu lives in is constantly being watched, and even the weather lies in the hands of the government. Citizens are happy and content with the invisible guiding hand, similar to those that use social media unaware or neglectful of its true danger. Additionally, the government keeps secrets from its citizens of how sentient clones are unfairly treated, and forced into isolation to work in exchange for their bodies.

Information is constantly being manipulated –like air-roids– to hide and expose certain subjects to the public eye, which limits the knowledge of those enslaved to the internet’s plastic walls. Having a constant source of

government controlled information blinds us from the reality that we’re choosing to let a fake metaverse separate us from the real world in front of us.

In The Girl in The Cylinder, Choyeop Kim comments on the current state of the world and how we are suppressed in multiple ways –by our own choice, government controlled information sources, and insecurities– that keep us from living our fullest lives.

References Zhang, X., & Ghorbani, A. A. (2020). An overview of online fake news: Characterization, detection, and discussion. Information Processing & Management, 57(2), 102025.

Duffy, B. E., & Chan, N. K. (2019). “You never really know who’s looking”: Imagined surveillance across social media platforms. New Media & Society, 21(1), 119-138.

Brodie Sheridan

senior division, honorable mention

My name is Brodie Sheridan, and I am a graduating senior at Coronado High School where I've participated in marching and jazz bands for the past four years.

Originally, I heard of the competition through my dual enrollment ENG101 teacher, Dr. Jo Markette, so at first I thought of it as if it was just another prompt. After I began writing, I had a sudden burst of inspiration and recognized the portrayal of our society through the short dystopian story, and how it was all just a metaphor for the walls we choose to place between us and those we want to connect with. While writing, I learned how important it is to stop and think about relationships between opposing forces, and how most things in life are connected if you take the time to understand their relation. I gained an appreciation for writing in high school when I was introduced to the pictures it was able to paint on the canvas that is a blank sheet of paper.

I aspire to write music at ASU and pursue the art of being able to tell stories. I want to thank my English teacher for never settling for anything less than my best work and pushing me to become the writer I am today.

Essay Category

JUNIOR division

Junior Essay Division – Topic Junior essay division (grade 8 and younger) 2022 Junior Essay Division Competition folktale index (folktales are available to read at our website)

• • •

The Story Bag The Snake and the Toad The Grateful Tiger

Korea has a rich tradition of storytelling, and its folktales 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 folktales 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 2022 folktales index page. Please make sure to select a folktale under the "2022 Essay Competition" list. When writing your essay, please be sure to include specific references to the tale you chose to write about. a.

Write an interpretation of a folk tale of your choice. Why do you think it was created? Which character do you relate to best?

b.

If you could change one of these folk tales, what would you change and why?

When writing your essay, please be sure to include specific references to the tale you chose to write about. a.

Write an interpretation of a folk tale of your choice. Why do you think it was created? Which character do you relate to best?

b.

If you could change one of these folk tales, what would you change and why?

This year's topic stories are included in the "Korean Children's Favorite Stories: Fables, Myths and Fairy Tales"

by Kim So-un Reprinted with the written permission from Tuttle Publishing Group to be used for 2022 Sejong Writing Competition (9/1/2021 - 3/31/2022) - available as read-only.

This book is available for purchase at Amazon.com.

"Korean Children's Favorite Stories: Fables, Myths and Fairy Tales" by Kim So-Un (Author), Jeong Kyoung-Sim (Illustrator) Publisher: Tuttle Publishing (www.tuttlepublishing.com) Junior Division Winners: first place – Mason Raymond second place – Ethan Leem third place – Anusha Bharadvaj honorable mentions – Marianna Druzhkova, Seonghui Ju, Hye Jung Shin, Suniti Srinivasan

Junior Essay Division - Winning Entries

first place

Mason Raymond El Cajon, CA

8th grade, (Carol Purvis) Literacy First Charter School Junior Academy

Folktale: The Grateful Tiger Title: “The Grateful Tiger” Through a Contemporary Lens In modern day, the past has only dreamt of what we take for granted. From electric cars to touchscreens, we may look back at history and find their lack of technology appalling. A needed wake-up call was given with the Covid-19 pandemic and made us realize how much opportunity we’re given every day. Through smaller interactions, it’s given us the ability to express our thankfulness on a lesser scale. Praising essential workers, reminiscing of times with friends, and valuing safety more are all objects of thought being brought to light, making us question, “What else don’t we value enough?”. Showing gratitude is something that we all need right now, and the Korean folktale “The Grateful Tiger” speaks volumes of this importance on a person-to-person basis.

Retold by Kim So-Un, this story tells of a character, simply named the young student, finding a tiger with a bone stuck in her throat. Seeing she’s in pain, he dislodges it for worry of further suffering. That same night, he dreamt of a mystical woman saying that she was the tiger he had saved, soon to reward him with kindness for his service. Years farther into his life, the same student wants to earn a job in the government but doesn’t pass the entrance exam.

Distraught, he falls asleep, again dreaming of the strange woman from his childhood. The self-proclaimed tiger woman now realizes that her life is coming to a close. Unprompted except by the pulling of heartstrings within her, she tells him she’s willing to sacrifice herself so he can be hailed as a hero and get the job he wants. Put off by it at first, the student eventually accepts the request and receives the tiger’s reciprocation. Albeit put simply, this folktale teaches individuals that helping others can oftentimes reward you in the end.

Although at surface it may seem an incomplex tale, this story truly made me self-reflect. I found on first reading that the moral being spread was ultimately superficial; it gave the appearance that you should only help others if you receive something in return. In spite of that initial response, when reading it several more times, I lost the feeling of a transactional arrangement and emerged with my newly formed opinion. The idea of a folktale is to teach a lesson; even when I was younger I found myself following the principles taught within them. The whole idea of the story is to be exemplary, not taken word for word and rather just something to ponder on. Helping others is the overarching theme and the device used to tell that happens to be the student’s reward.

Still, for this message to strike and for people to follow in the appropriate footsteps, the story was meant to relate to the reader. The protagonist is the student and clearly meant to be who we’re supposed to sympathize

with; however, many of us, including me, seem to resonate with the tiger more. Some people have compassionate hearts naturally, and those like myself feel the need to reward those who show care for us. This is exactly what the tiger aims to do as a response to the student’s random act of kindness, resulting in sacrificing herself for him in the end. I also find the tiger more relatable not just because of her sentiment, but also because of her way of carrying out her plans. When the tiger brings up the idea of sacrificing herself, the student denies the request. The tiger then goes on to say that he was essentially disrespecting her wishes and, “…rejecting [her] sincere feelings of gratitude.” When trying to honor others’ goodwill, I often find them denying the gift which then results in me forcing them to accept it, parallel to the tiger.

However, telling people to be less humble is something uncommon in today’s world. As people grow more selfcentered and conceited, texts such as this are valuable and serve as reminders of how to be more amiable to others. With further contemplation on the effects this tale has had on readers, we can hypothesize why it was written. The message must’ve been important enough for the author to feel the need to spread the word via literature, but why use that outlet? As aforementioned, folktales, passed down from generation to generation, all were created to serve some purpose, that usually being trying to teach the young foundational respect. For all we know, this could’ve just been a story a mother would tell her children to help them realize why kindness was key. Even so, we can dive deeper than that.

Looking out into the world, we all observe those who are stereotypically good and bad, right and wrong, benevolent and malicious, but what do we do to address that? Expanding the subject, how would everyday Koreans back then be able to spread such a message? As I find, this ideology of gratefulness can be brought into the modern-world conversation, serving as a possible trifecta answer to the author’s intent: creating a timeless piece of work that all can aspire to in a way accessible to them.

Without a doubt, even I as a more analytical reader was forced to confront how pressing this moral was, mirrored in my gestures. Watching the deaths and illnesses of those around me, Covid included, has molded the clay that is how I view gratefulness. Although melancholy, it’s crucial to realize how viewing life with a grateful heart will manifest itself into everything else you do. It is unrighteous to think that your actions will never have consequences and not affect other individuals; it’s better to gain an affable disposition for you never know the dominos that may fall later. If that lesson being told to so many has made at least one person realize the wrongness in being prudent, then I believe that the story of “The Grateful Tiger” has served its true purpose of instilling good in others.

Mason Raymond

junior division, first place My name is Mason Raymond, and I am currently an eighth grade student at Literacy First Charter School Junior Academy in El Cajon, California.

Being half Korean-American myself, I often found interest in learning about my own cultural roots. I found the Sejong Writing Competition by Google search, trying to find opportunities to explore that side of myself. As I worked through the process of crafting my essay, I found that it was quite interesting and eye opening to navigate how the writer conveyed their message through folktale. I also find that by reading through the story I covered, “The Grateful Tiger”, was an amazing chance to delve into my interest of Korean culture and my heritage.

Personally, I have many hobbies and interests. Just recently, I worked on a scientific paper which I am currently trying to get reviewed and published. I also love to listen to music in my free time, drawing much of my literary inspiration from those who I listen to. Although I don’t necessarily have a single ‘personal hero’ per se, I do find other AsianAmerican artists like Mitski and Yaeji inspiring.

As for my personal goals, I hope to have a bright future. I want to maintain high academics when I enter high school this fall. Next summer (or really any summer in high school) I also hope to study abroad in South Korea. As for my future career, I hope I’m able to pursue something in medicine as it peaks two of my interests: STEM as well as helping others.

Junior Essay Division - Winning Entries

second place

Ethan Leem San Diego, CA

7th grade, (Moon Jeung Chang) Pacific Trails Middle School Folktale: The Grateful Tiger Title: “The Grateful Tiger” Through a Contemporary Lens A folktale is a drop of amber, a glistening preservation of a society’s aspects. In that amber, the state of the present is reflected, shedding light on the conflicts and issues of our own. In today’s world which is troubled with bitter conflicts– a devastating combination of a prolonged pandemic and even an abrupt military invasion– kindness has assumed a greater significance. In fact, there has never been a moment in the 21st Century when empathy was needed more. That is why “The Grateful Tiger,” a Korean folktale that illustrates the importance of kindness is resonating with modern readers.

“The Grateful Tiger,” translated by Kim So-un, is a story about a young student and a tiger. While passing by, the young student encounters a tiger that happens to have a bone stuck in its throat. Cautiously, the student pulls out the bone, and the tiger appears in the student’s dream as a human girl who thanks the student for his kindness and promises to return the student’s favor. Years later, the student fails an exam to become a government official and is distraught.

However, the tiger reappears in the student’s dreams that night and explains she will wreak havoc throughout the city the following day as the tiger. She adds no one except for the student will be able to bring down the tiger, which will reward him the title of a nobleman. As a final message, the girl explains the bean paste acquired from the Temple of Hungryung will heal those wounded in the scuffle and advises the student to administer the paste. Although the student initially refuses in what he sees as a cowardly act, the girl insists, and the student shoots the tiger the following day and is made a nobleman. Afterward, the student supplies the injured with the healing bean paste and becomes famous.

The goal of “The Grateful Tiger” is to illustrate the importance of generosity and to shed light on the notion that what one puts out into the world returns back to oneself in the same manner. When the young student gathers his courage to remove the bone from the tiger’s throat, he is rewarded for his empathy and kindness. As shown in “The Grateful Tiger,” one’s offering of hospitality is not always imminent or immediate. Nonetheless, goodwill finds a way of coming back in distinct ways. In a sense, the sweetness or sympathy you offer to others is what prompts future feelings of the same courtesy to you and is the spark that lights the tender blaze of trust. The concept of treating others the way one would prefer to be treated blossoms from what “The Grateful Tiger” brings to

attention. This folktale may trace its origins to the early recognition of solicitude amongst people and the necessity it holds.

The tiger from “The Grateful Tiger'' insists on repaying the young student’s kindness by rewarding the student with the title of a nobleman. I resonate with the tiger the best because the act of returning one’s solicitude is loyalty, the adherence to not only receive but also exchange generosity. When the Coronavirus pandemic began due to the SARS- COV-2 virus, determined, loyal frontline heroes stepped up to strengthen humanity.

Researchers tirelessly worked to create a vaccine. Countless nurses and doctors took risks to discover what the virus truly was and inform the public of important safety measures. In response, the public took care to understand the risks and take measures to protect others. Just like in “The Grateful Tiger,” we, the public, were rewarded with several vaccines and treatments against the virus. For me, I was indebted to the loyalty of those working on the frontlines. Therefore, the vaccine symbolizes the fruit of exchanging fidelity. When communities put hard work into protecting themselves and others from the virus, researchers and scientists returned the favor through the vaccine. Because of the significance of loyalty in my life, especially during these times, I relate with the tiger the most.

“The Grateful Tiger'' exemplifies the necessity for kindness and goodwill in the community. Though the world continues to undergo heavy changes, and it is common to exhale in defeat in times of hopelessness, empathy remains present. Compassion is shared in remarkably similar fashions to how the young student and the tiger exchanged sympathy in this folktale. Above all, there has never been a time when the need for strengthening compassion is apparent as the present. While there is a future where all slowly transitions and recovers back to normal, there’s also a quicker, faster route. For that efficient transformation, let us bear in mind the message of “The Grateful Tiger” and strive towards brightening the future.

Ethan Leem

junior division, second place

My name is Ethan Leem, and I am a seventh-grade student at Pacific Trails Middle School in San Diego, California.

I learned about this competition from my personal English tutor, Ms. Chang. Once I heard about the Sejong writing competition, I immediately recognized how great of an opportunity this event would be to strengthen my writing and literature skills. While writing my essay for this competition, I recognized the distinct ability for cultural aspects to transcend different countries. As I sought to understand the key concepts mixed in Korean folklore, I established links between the subjects covered in Korean folklore to modern-day thought processes.

This competition has allowed me to read between the lines of Korean culture and understand a greater deal about Korea itself.

Some of my hobbies include traditional art, playing tennis, reading, and of course writing. I have an extensive interest in a wide variety of sciences ranging from paleontology to physics and strive to discover new things about subjects I already presume to understand.

My personal hero is my family members, who teach me the powers of resilience and mindfulness.

A future goal I always keep in mind is to uphold my passion for writing. Another topic this competition has taught me is the complex yet elegant art that is writing, and I don't intend to lose my love for writing anytime soon.

The Sejong writing competition has been a wonderful experience and I am very honored to have won second place. I'd like to thank both the Sejong Cultural Society and my English tutor, Ms. Chang, for opening the door to this remarkable journey.

Junior Essay Division - Winning Entries

third place

Anusha Bharadvaj Kirkland, WA

8th grade, (Lauren Jackson) International Community School Folktale: The Story Bag Title: Story Bag - America, Covid-19 and Other Lessons Folktales such as “The Story Bag” have many meanings and can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. “The Story Bag” is a small but powerful story of a rich boy who loved to listen and keep stories. Many years pass without the stories being shared and enjoyed by all. They become angry at his neglect and plot to kill the rich man who has kept them in captivity, on the day of his wedding. A faithful servant of the rich man hears the stories’ plan and decides he must keep the man and his bride safe from the harm that the stories intend to cause. In the end, the servant manages to protect the man and his wife from every deathly challenge that the stories throw at them.

I think that certain important aspects of the story can correlate to real values and morals. At the beginning of the story when the boy saves all the stories, it shows his ignorance and selfishness as he only wants to keep the tales for himself. This shows up in the real world as the way that money gives people and even countries entitlement and corruption. An interpretation of this is the United States and the COVID-19 vaccines. The USA is a country that has a high gross domestic income which means that they are extremely wealthy as a nation.

When it comes to covid vaccines which are a very prevalent topic right now, America has a large supply of these beneficial tools. Sixty-five percent of the country is fully vaccinated to date and about eleven percent is partially vaccinated. Over half of the American population has gotten vaccinated and progress is still being made steadily (Mayoclinic).

Meanwhile, underdeveloped and third world countries are struggling to make ends meet and vaccinate most of their population. Impoverished countries in Africa are being left behind in the vaccine race and it is not going to benefit the world in a positive way. The rich boy and forsaken stories are a direct metaphor to wealthy countries such as the USA and the vaccines which they hoard. Namibia, Somalia, Djibouti, and other nations that face extreme poverty have very low vaccination rates. Five percent of people in low-income countries have been fully vaccinated, which is vastly different from countries such as the USA and the UK with high vaccination rates (Holder).

Vaccines are not being effectively distributed and the USA in fact had a surplus of millions of unused doses by the end of 2021 (US News). Those unused serums could vaccinate a sizable amount of people in poor countries.

In “The Story Bag,” the stories become vengeful and decide to punish the rich boy for his hoarding of them. This

translates to the effect that not supporting low-income countries will have on an international level. More variants of Covid will occur, and with fewer people fully vaccinated the variants could wipe out entire nations.

Overall, the story is interpreted in many forms throughout its existence, but unnecessary accumulation of vaccines is a very recent issue that has an astronomical impact in our current society.

I think that this folktale was made as a warning story. Many folktales have a theme or even cautionary saying which teaches children morals to abide by during life. The overall message of this story is that greed and ignorance come with grave consequences. The little boy’s innocence and lack of concern for others results in the attempt on his life done by the stories. Because the stories are hoarded and not shared, these consequences occur. If not for his foul actions he would be safe, and the servant would not have to go through the trouble of defending and embarrassing the man on his wedding day. This tale ends with a happy ending like most folktales do. The reprimand implied, however, is that if you let greed get the best of you, your actions will come back to you.

Out of all the characters I think that the man is most relatable to me, and many others. The rich boy turned man is painted to be the villain of the tale because of his disregard for others and the stories. But everyone knows how it feels to be haunted by something from their past. The man accumulated the stories when he was just an innocent child. It must not have been evil intent behind the act of stowing them away, but just pure fascination by the contents of the tales. Though we see him as a wrongdoer, the whole world can remember a time from their youth that they made a mistake which was unacceptable but came from a place of innocence and not immoral purpose. In the folktale the man is punished very literally by the attempt of his murder. This scenario represents the mental drain that is caused by guilt, when thinking about dishonorable actions. Our mistakes stay in the past, but they can torment us for decades after they have happened. Just as the stories tried multiple times to kill the man, regret comes back to us multiple times with the same reminder of our faults.

Overall, folktales are an ancient way of teaching beneficial life lessons and supporting people in developing a moral compass with extreme scenarios. They are interpreted in a multitude of ways because of the simple but principal themes that follow us through life. Eventually, the listeners become the tellers and generations of children will learn crucial lessons by relating these paramount stories to their own existence.

Works Cited "As Vaccine Demand Falls, States Are Left With Huge Stockpile." US News, 3 Mar. 2022, www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-03-03/as-vaccine-demand-falls-statesare-left-with-huge-stockpile. Accessed 30 Mar. 2022.

"Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccinations." Our World in Data, ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations. Accessed 30 Mar. 2022.

Holder, Josh. "Tracking Coronavirus Vaccinations Around the World." New York Times, 29 Mar. 2022, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/covid-vaccinations-tracker.html. Accessed 30 Mar. 2022.

"Is the world now paying the price of not doing enough to help developing world COVID-19 vaccination efforts?"

Brookings, www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2022/01/07/are-rich-countries-sufficiently-helpingthe-developing- world-in-its-vaccination-efforts/. Accessed 30 Mar. 2022.

"U.S. COVID-19 vaccine tracker: See your state's progress." Mayoclinic, www.mayoclinic.org/coronaviruscovid- 19/vaccine-tracker. Accessed 27 Mar. 2022.

Anusha Bharadvaj

junior division, third place My name is Anusha Bharadvaj, and I am currently an 8th grader at International Community School in Kirkland, Washington.

I learned about this competition from my Humanities teacher, Mrs. Jackson. She is incredibly kind and was always available for my questions and encouraged me during the essay writing process.

Researching for my essay taught me more about the vaccine struggle in the world and the inequality in vaccine accessibility.

My hobbies include sports, baking, music, and spending time with friends and family. My favorite sport is softball as I have been playing it for five years and continue to play it at a competitive level.

An important goal I have for the future is to work hard in school and find a balance between studying and extracurriculars. This writing experience was fun for me because I got to interpret the folktale and share my perspective.

Junior Essay Division - Winning Entries

Honorable mention

Friend of the Pacific Rim Award

Marianna Druzhkova Redmond, WA

8th Grade, (Lauren Jackson) International Community Schooll Folktale: The Story Bag

Stories and folktales are and have always been at the heart of almost every culture on Earth. They teach us morals, life lessons, show us our history, and give us guidance for our future. They are arguably one of the most precious and important things to learn and know. The Korean folktale “The Story Bag” tells the story of a young boy who collected and hoarded the stories he had heard. He would question each new person he met and stuff their story into his overflowing bag, tying it tight as to not let any precious tales escape. As he grew older and prepared to find a wife, the stories in his bag began plotting revenge, having turned bitter because of their prolonged and uncomfortable imprisonment.

The first lesson of this folktale is that stories are not meant to be kept, unlike objects, but told and retold many times over, until they have traveled to every corner of the world and spread their lessons. The boy not only hid and hoarded his stories from others, but he himself completely forgot about them as he grew older.

His once treasured stories now “hung forgotten on an old nail on the kitchen wall” like a bag of old toys, used and unwanted (8). These stories that the boy had kept so carefully and greedily hidden could have inspired others, taught them more about the world, or spread joy and happiness. Many times, when an older relative shares a story with a young child, they often end up forgetting it as they grow older and potentially losing an incredibly important part of their family’s or culture’s history forever. It is so important to remember the stories that have been passed down generation to generation, and fortunately programs like the Sejong Cultural Society are helping people remember important parts of their history.

Another important lesson of this story is how greed affects us and others in our life. The boy kept the stories to himself out of greed and selfishness, and in his happiest moment, this decision came back to bite him (literally). Greed can make the most precious things, like gifts, memories, or even sometimes people, turn bitter and resentful.

Everything must be given its freedom, not hoarded and kept. One can miss out on so much happiness in life if they fall trap to the tempting and yet dreadful desire to store and hide what’s theirs. When I was younger, sometimes I felt a bit like the young boy in the story. I kept items and stories in a firm grip, for some reason afraid that if I dared share them with other people, even if for a little, I would instantly lose them. This was a

foolish and rather childish way of seeing the world, because there were many times when I could have happily shared toys with friends and had a good time, or laughed over a story with someone instead of keeping it to myself. Sharing and giving other people joy is one of the best things one can do in life, and the mindset of “What’s mine is mine, what’s yours is yours” is often selfish and very close minded.

Yet another lesson in this story is that, even if it seems like a person is trying to hold you back or keep you from doing something you want because of malicious intent, sometimes they are only trying to help you. The young boy gets angry and frustrated at the old servant multiple times in the story for doing things that seem petty or without logic, when really the old servant is trying to protect his master from an untimely death. Cases like this happen a lot of the time between children and their parents. Sometimes, it feels like the choices your parents make are petty and for no reason, but often times, parents are just trying to protect their kids from making the same mistakes they did. However, I think that if the old servant had tried to communicate his worries about what he had heard to the young master before his heroic attempts at trying to save his master’s life, both the young master’s embarrassment and all the troubles themselves could have been avoided. It is important to talk to people and not immediately jump to conclusions so that unfortunate misunderstandings don’t occur and potentially end relationships.

“The Story Bag” shows people how greed and carelessness can corrupt and destroy a happy life, while also preaching the importance of stories and storytellers. The folktale also touches on the concept of loyalty and prejudices. It is only one example of many folktales that teach and enrich people's lives with their lessons.

Marianna Druzhkova junior division, honorable mention

My name is Marianna Druzhkova, and I am currently an eighth grade student at International Community School in Kirkland, Washington.

I first heard about this competition from my Humanities teacher, Mrs. Jackson. As someone who enjoys writing and spends most of their free time with a book, I thought that entering this competition would provide an excellent chance to learn and write about traditional Korean folklore.

All folklore, from Celtic to Slavic, influences even the current way of life we lead today, so it was such a unique opportunity to learn about Korean culture in the form of creative and fine arts that connect to both the past and present.

My hobbies and skills include crocheting, hiking, spending time with my beloved dog Marble, and traveling. Some of my favorite book genres are folklore and mythology, and I have read about Germanic, Slavic, Celtic, Greek, Roman, Nordic, and Roman myths and legends.

In the future I hope to continue to nourish my love for writing and the arts, and to learn more about other cultures and their unique attributes.

I am very thankful to The Sejong Culture Society, Mrs. Jackson, and all my lovely friends at ICS that discussed together and supported each other as we worked on our essays.

Junior Essay Division - Winning Entries

Honorable mention

Friend of the Pacific Rim Award

Seonghui Ju Falls Church, VA

(Sylvia Maldonado) Longfellow Middle School Folktale: The Grateful Tiger

“Promise / noun /ˈprɑməs/ 1. A declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified / 2. A reason to expect something” is how Merriam-Webster defines promise. Promise, however, is much more than a declaration or an expectation.

Whether it be childhood pinky swears that eventually lose their magic or Russia going against its pledge not to invade Ukraine, promises are broken. In such a treacherous world, the Korean folktale of a tiger putting its life on the line for a promise is a breath of fresh air for modern readers because it reminds us to keep promises.

At the beginning of the folktale, the tiger has a bone stuck in her throat and is blinded by pain, almost dying. At the end of the folktale, the tiger, to honor her promise to the student, sacrifices her life. The tiger is the definition of life repaid by life as she keeps her word. Every creature’s life is of value, yet the tiger in the story willingly gives up her irreplaceable soul to keep good on her word. How far will this courageous creature go if it means she kept her promise? How far should readers guide themselves to go?

The moral of “The Grateful Tiger” is that promises should be kept. No matter how small of an act of kindness the student performed, the tiger keeps her words with her life. As a faithful creature of her words, she longs for the student to be as rejoiced as she was when she was offered a hand, which can be made possible by keeping the promise she made. The tiger’s actions encourage readers to see how big of a change promises can bring. The author cleverly chooses the tiger as one of the main characters because it tells the reader that if a wild beast like the tiger honors her words and promises, the reader as a human should as well.

I am passionate about the environment and keeping as is the lush green and liveliness earth shares.

Though it may sound pessimistic, I know a single person like me can’t make a difference on the entire world.

However, I can make a difference in my little piece of the world-- maybe then my piece can grow to be every piece of the world. To do this, I made a promise to myself to do my best in spreading and doing what I believe is best for the environment, and I’m proud to say that I still haven’t broken that promise. One example is participating in the Fairfax Parks 2021 Poetry Contest: I wrote a poem about the turbulent times with COVID and how parks and nature are a heartfelt pat on the back for all those suffering. With my entry, I won in my division and shared my poem as a video on the Fairfax Parks

website. Furthermore, in May, I’m publishing a poem book to spread my love for nature. I admit, it’s frightening and tough to share my personal emotions through publication, but to keep the promise to myself, I know I need to be courageous, no matter what it takes. Struggling with my own fears, I realized the tiger must have possessed enormous courage to have sacrificed her life for a promise she could have left forgotten and broken. Hence, I relate to the tiger best for bravery unmeasurably great; to heroic individuals such as Ahn Joong-keun, Seo Hui, and Ryu Gwansun of my Korean heritage. In my blood I have my ancestors’ neverbending boldness and, of course, the tiger’s graciousness in the keeping of her promise.

The tiger inevitably shows that, indeed, keeping promises weighs equally with keeping a life. The burden of today is too much: COVID is still raging on, the war in Ukraine is intensifying each day, and feelings of hopelessness roam around. Let promises share that load. It doesn’t have to be grand or dramatic; it could be a simple one made personally to wear a mask or advocate online for Ukraine. If even little promises are kept, it may be the tie to piece the whole world together.

The word “promise” has two definitions online, two I don’t feel satisfied with after having read “The Grateful Tiger.” The folktale inspired me to add one crucial point to the definitions: a promise isn’t only declaring something; it’s also declaring that a promise won’t be broken. It’s clear with the elaboration that keeping promises isn’t an easy feat, but truly, it’s the reason why a promise, this divine folktale, and the tiger pose such power and importance in life. Promises are powerful and keeping them is beauty itself.

Junior Essay Division - Winning Entries Junior Essay Division - Winning Entries

Honorable mention

Friend of the Pacific Rim Award

Hye Jung Shin Buffalo Grove, IL

8th grade (Renee Weinstein) Aptakisic Junior High

Folktale: The Grateful Tiger

The Korean folk tale, "The Grateful Tiger", addresses many themes and morals while incorporating culture and tradition into an awe inspiring story. The short synopsis of the tale is as follows: one day, a student encounters a tiger in pain by the road and resolves to assist it. To repay the student’s kindness, the tiger appears as a beautiful woman in the student’s dream a few years later and guides him to become a nobleman. The two most significant teachings from this tale are: “Karma is present in our society,” and “You can always make a difference no matter how small your contribution is.”

The main character, who happens to be a student, discovers a tiger writhing in pain by the roadside one day. Being kind and gentle in nature, the student decides to help the tiger. He pulls a sharp bone splinter out of the tiger’s mouth. Filled with gratitude, the tiger thanks the student. That night, a beautiful maiden appears in the student's dream. She reveals that she is the tiger that the student saved and that she will repay his kindness one day. Years pass as the student prepares to become a government official. He travels to the capital city and takes the final examination.

Unfortunately, the student fails the test due to the large number of people competing. Dismal and distressed, the student resigns to failure and decides to work harder in order to pass the exam next year. That night, the beautiful woman appears in his dream again. She instructs the student to kill her the next day as she will be in the form of a wild tiger. The maiden says that no bowman or gunman will be able to kill her. Initially, the student refuses to commit the horrendous deed.

However, the young woman insists, saying that she wants to repay the student’s kindness and that because she is very old, she will die in a few days time anyways. The woman also tells the student to obtain bean paste from a temple and apply it to the wounds of the attacked. Strangely enough, a wild tiger actually appears in the city and pounces upon the people the next day. To the king’s dismay, guns and arrows do not penetrate the wild tiger's skin. The student then offers to get rid of it. He shoots once and the tiger goes down. The student is made a nobleman that day and is rewarded with loads and heaps of rice. He does not forget about the instructions to retrieve the bean paste from the Temple of Hungryung. He applies the bean paste to the wounds of the people

who have sustained injuries. Due to the fast recovery of the wounded, the student becomes famous and lives contentedly and happily for the rest of his life.

Karma is the result of a person's actions as well as the actions themselves. It can be perceived as the cycle of cause and effect. In other words, what goes around comes around. In “The Grateful Tiger”, the student acts out of kindness and is rewarded with kindness. In this case, the student was affected by “good” karma. Because of his altruistic and kind hearted deeds, the tiger helps the student become a nobleman. It does take a few years for the tiger to take action and for the student to become a nobleman; nevertheless, the student eventually becomes wealthy and lives a prosperous life.

The author of “The Grateful Tiger” purposefully did not give the main character a name. He/she decided that the main character would be a student. Digging deeper, the author was trying to convey the message in which anyone, old; young, tall; short, could give a slight change to the world. The student was just a passerby, but decided to help the poor tiger. This theme ties back in with karma. Even though the student was not a significant person in his society, he became one after expressing sympathy and warmth. In other words, no matter your status, you can bring about change by showing kindness to others. It will eventually recirculate in your favor.

Unfortunately, I feel as if I do not relate with any of the characters that were introduced in the story.

The tale mainly focuses on the tiger and the student. I have yet to experience true karma.

This folktale is almost flawless. However, if I had to choose, I would change the section in which the beautiful woman reappears in the student’s dream. He failed the examination and was in melancholy. The student decided to come back next year and work harder in order to pass the test.

However, the beautiful woman appeared in his dream and guided him to become a nobleman. I believe that it would have been best if the woman appeared after the student took the exam a few more times. If she hadn’t shown up, the student would have worked harder. Then he would have realized how important diligence was and how hard work could bring about change. In my opinion, good fortune came too easy for the student. He should have suffered a bit more in order to live the luxurious and pleasant life he so desired.

Ultimately, “The Grateful Tiger” teaches us how "Karma is omnipresent in our society," and that "Your contribution can always make a difference, regardless of how small it may be.” These were the two most lasting and profound messages in this tale. This folktale helps us realize how important our actions are and that what goes around comes around.

Hye Jung Shin junior division, honorable mention

My name is Hye Jung Shin and I am currently an 8th grader at Aptakisic Junior High School.

I heard about this competition by chance, through my sister. As she explained, I was immediately intrigued and was compelled to take part in this competition. As I read the folktale, I realized how important tradition is and was deeply moved by the inspiring morals and themes present in the tale. I’ve always enjoyed reading novels and reading historical fiction.

My hobbies include reading, dancing, and singing.

My personal heroes are my parents. In order to provide a better future for me and my sister, they left everything behind and came to new, strange land. They dealt with hardships just so that we could grow up in the land of opportunities. My parents’ resilience and determination has always been inspiring, and in the future, I wish to be like them. I also wish to pursue a career in the medical field.

I am extremely grateful for being given a chance to participate in the Sejong Writing Competition. Thank you!

Junior Essay Division - Winning Entries Winning Entries

Honorable mention

Friend of the Pacific Rim Award

Suniti Srinivasan Radmond, WA

8th grade (Lauren Jackson) International Community School

Folktale: The Grateful Tiger

Title: Dumbed Down No More: "The Grateful Tiger" Oppressing the Perception of the Tiger as a Fool "The Foolish Tiger," "The Foolish Lion and the Clever Rabbit," and "The Rabbits Judgment" - these folktales come from various backgrounds, from Korean to Indian. All these folktales have one thing in common. Large animals typically perceived as agile, fierce, and cunning in society have embodied a dumbed-down creature with the knowledge of a fish. In folktales around the world, animals like bunnies and foxes are clever, while lions and tigers are the ones who fall into their traps. Kim So-un defied the perception of larger animals as trivialized beings and pushed me to culturally identify what these animals signify. Weren't they supposed to be majestic, brave characters, so why didn't humans portray them in such a way?

In this folktale, a Tiger alongside the road appears in immense pain as a sharp bone splinter is stuck in its throat. A benevolent boy gently approaches the Tiger (who is a beautiful girl), quickly removing the bone splinter, relieving the Tiger of its pain. Later, the Tiger sacrifices her life for the boy's success, allowing him to kill her. Although reluctant to kill the Tiger, the boy accepts the Tiger's action of gratitude. The next day, when the girl (in the form of a dangerous tiger) shows up, he swiftly kills her and heals others who got hurt with bean paste (recommended by the Tiger). This action impacts the boy's future, giving him a government position and a wife (she is the girl who was in the form of a tiger)—representing the Tiger as a wise guardian spirit of the boy.

Through this story, I was unfazed at first sight by the moral. It seemed like a very common moral, identifiable in numerous Indian folktales I read through my childhood. Upon further analysis, I realized that this story defied the typical representation of animals like lions, tigers, and wolves as fools who are blinded by their ego, resulting in their death or failure. In the "Grateful Tiger," the Tiger is portrayed as a gracious and giving character whose plan motivated the boy not to give up and allowed him to become a Government Official, even though hope seemed to be lost after failing the entry test. This story broke the societal norm that larger animals are dumbed down by their ego. The plot showed how these animals could be selfless, restoring the original meaning of the Tiger in Korean mythology as "a symbol of strength and power and often seen as the guardian

spirit and protector of the Korean people" (Go Go Hanguk). Although the Tiger is usually represented in a positive light, somehow dumbed-down perception of the Tiger can still be seen in stories like 단군 이야기 and 호랑이 곶감 where the Tiger seems to be this unintellectual character who fails in the end. These animals are intelligent creatures well respected in many cultures—so why do humans portray them in such a way in stories?

The opinions on tigers throughout history have changed significantly. In the Choson Dynasty (1392-1910), tigers were viewed as threats. The only significance of a tiger was its fur (jstor). As society progressed, tigers were seen as guardians, myths like Dangun connected the Tiger to the birth of Korean society. These majestic creatures were auspicious and depicted "values of virtue and benevolence, but also the cheerful and optimistic spirit of the Korean people." (Google Arts & Culture). Koreans have idealized the Tiger so much that they perceive the Korean peninsula "as a tiger ready to pounce" (Go Go Hanguk). With such rich cultural significance and this year being the Year of the Black Tiger in Korea, why were these flawed folktales still some of the children's favorites?

Humans love power, or the sense to be in control. The principle of why power is so attractive to humans can be understood through the definition of Autonomy, the "freedom from external control or influence; independence." (Bing dictionary) Through these popular folktales read by children worldwide, we see the underdogs like rabbits and foxes winning while animals like tigers and lions lose, drawing us to these folktales. When small animals like bunnies and foxes do not fall prey to these larger animals, we believe we will not as well, causing us to assume that we are in a state of power. The sense of freedom that these dangerous animals cannot harm us if they can harm a bunny liberates us from this seemingly powerful creature. It may subconsciously, but it can constantly be seen through many folktales in various places. This may be why we portray smaller animals as the cunning ones who fool the larger animals in the end when in real life. This is inexact. In the Choson Dynasty, it is seen that these large felines posed a threat to society. Dumbing them down makes it easier for Koreans to idolize them without seeing them as a threat to our existence, like how we like to make friends with people we believe are below some way to boost ourselves up instead of challenging someone higher than us.

In the end, folktales are an extension of who we are and can impact our present selves. "The Grateful Tiger" exemplifies that large animals do not always have to fall in the end. As humans, we seem attracted to rooting for the underdog to the point where we make an unrealistic situation where the underdog wins. Big powerful animals like lions, tigers, etc., are culturally significant in many places. Resorting to make them into dull-witted characters is disheartening at times. These majestic animals are not easily fooled. Our need to feel like the most potent species can entice us to portray powerful animals as weaker mentally and physically than they are. Though power is not the only aspect of life, it is the most enthralling. It becomes so enticing that we forget these animals' cultural significance.

Suniti Srinivasan junior division, honorable mention

My name is Suniti Srinivasan. I am an 8th grader at International Community School in Kirkland, Washington. I heard about the Sejong Writing Competition through my Humanities teacher, Mrs.Jackson. This opportunity caught my eye as I grew up surrounded by folktales. While reading the Korean folktales, I connected them to the Indian folktales I had heard throughout my childhood. This competition allowed me to have a birds-eye view of these stories while also formulating my perception of a deeper meaning inside the story.

Outside of school, my leisure activities include boxing, sketching, reading, and participating in debate conferences through Model United Nations. I also interview authors outside of school. While representing We Need Diverse Books and contributing to their blog, I got the chance to interview my personal hero Laura Gao. She has inspired me by embracing her true identity as a queer Chinese-American. My future goals consist of participating in writing competitions, pushing my writing to its best, and interviewing more authors to learn more diverse perspectives on the world from the people around me. I am so grateful to my humanities teacher Mrs.Jackson for introducing me to this competition.

Sijo Category

17th Sejong Writing Competition (April 2022)

Sijo Category

￭ Winners ￭ A Basic Guide to Writing SIJO ￭ Winners Entries & Bio ￭ Adult Division ￭ Pre-college Division

2022 Sejong Writing Competition Sijo Winners Adult Division

First Place

Second Place

Third Place

Pre-college Division

Martin Willitts, Jr. Syracuse, NY sijo

Gabrielle Wincherhern Woodbridge, CT 12th grade, (Jennifer Bonaldo) Amity Regional High School sijo

Stephanie Malley Trafford, PA sijo

Natalie Vogt Hartland, WI 12th grade, (Elizabeth Jorgensen) Arrowhead Union High School sijo

Ben Griffis Alexandria, VA sijo

Cathy Nguyen San Gabriel, CA 12th grade, (Marguerita Drew) Gabrielino High School sijo Elizabeth Gill Dublin, OH 11th grade, (Tim Flora) Dublin Jerome High School sijo Emma Homrig Redwood City, CA 8th Grade, (Suhail Rafidi) Odyssey Middle School sijo

Honorable Mention Friend of the Pacific Rim Award

Izeabella Jerger Oconomowoc, WI 11th grade, (Elizabeth Jorgensen) Arrowhead Union High School sijo Ashley Park Dix Hills, NY (Rachel Crowe) Half Hollow Hills High School West sijo Christina Todd Chattanooga, TN 12th grade, (Chuck Newell) Notre Dame High Scool sijo

( ) Teacher's name

Sijo SIjo

A Basic Guide to Writing Sijo The sijo (Korean 시조, pronounced SHEE-jo) is a traditional three-line Korean poetic form typically exploring cosmological, metaphysical, or pastoral themes. Organized both technically and thematically by line and syllable count, sijo are expected to be phrasal and lyrical, as they are first and foremost meant to be songs.

Sijo are written in three lines, each averaging 14-16 syllables for a total of 44-46 syllables. Each line is written in four groups of syllables that should be clearly differentiated from the other groups, yet still flow together as a single line. When written in English, sijo may be written in six lines, with each line containing two syllable groupings instead of four. Additionally, as shown in the example below, liberties may be taken (within reason) with the number of syllables per group as long as the total syllable count for the line remains the same. However, it is strongly recommended that the third line consistently begin with a grouping of three syllables.

The first line is usually written in a 3-4-4-4 grouping pattern and states the theme of the poem, where a situation is generally introduced.

The second line is usually written in a 3-4-4-4 pattern (similar to the first) and is an elaboration of the first line's theme or situation (development).

The third line is divided into two sections. The first section, the counter-theme, is grouped as 3-5, while the second part, considered the conclusion of the poem, is written as 4-3. The counter-theme is called the 'twist,' which is usually a surprise in meaning, sound, or other device.

Example: excerpt from "Song of my five friends" Yun Seondo (1587-1671) (Original Sijo in Korean) 내벗이 몇이나 하니 수석과 송죽이라 3-5-3-4 (=15) 동산에 달 오르니 긔 더욱 반갑고야 3-4-3-4 (=14) 두어라 이 다섯밖에 또 더하여 무엇하리 3-5-4-4 (=16) (Translated in English) You ask how many friends I have? Water and stone, bamboo and pine. (2-6-4-4) The moon rising over the eastern hill is a joyful comrade. (2-4-4-6) Besides these five companions, what other pleasure should I ask? (2-5, 5-3)

Advice from Prof. Mark Peterson “The structure is important, but I always allow for poetic license, meaning that sometimes the message is more important than the structure. But a poem can be eliminated if the structure is too far off base ... I really like the three-beat start to the third line.

Word choice is important. Some poems used a word that seemed beyond the argot of the writer and was not quite the right word in nuance, if not in actual definition. Sometimes the right word in the right place is a zinger, really powerful.

Imagery. Some poems capture an image so effectively – you can see the image. Some poems miss in that the image or message is lost in vague and ambiguous wording and imagery. They seem to try too hard to be flowery or emotional and the message is unclear. Clarity is essential.

Emotion. Poetry, in sijo or any form, has to capture an emotion and transfer that feeling to the reader.

Some poetic emotion is in the category of sadness – loss, loneliness, abandonment, insult, being ostracized.

Happiness – love, acceptance, success, accomplishment. The thing about sijo, more so than haiku, is that the form can capture a wide range of emotions.”

Mark Peterson is Professor Emeritus of Korean history, literature and language from Brigham Young University. He is a frequent judge of the Sejong Writing Competition sijo category and board member of the Sejong Cultural Society.

Further reading: Sijo Primer (an introduction for those new to sijo) by Larry Gross (.pdf) Structure of the Korean Sijo by David McCann (.pdf)

Video lectures on Sejong Cultural Society YouTube Channel: Sijo lectures by David McCann Part 1: form and structure Part 2: history Part 3: sample analysis of sijo Sijo lecture series by Mark Peterson Lecture 1: Rhythm of sijo and classic masterpieces Lecture 2: Correcting sijo Lecture 3: Teaching sijo through mimicry Lecture 4: Creating sijo from other texts Lecture 5: Sijo and haiku Sijo Class for Elementary School Students by Elizabeth Jorgensen Part 1: What is Sijo? (12:18) Part 2: Let's Read Sijo (9:42) Part 3: Write Your Sijo (15:14) Part 4: Share Your Sijo (22:22)

Sijo Category

ADULT division

Adult Sijo Division - Winning Entries

first place

Martin Willitts, Jr. Syracuse, NY

Night Music A slur of crickets builds tension and tensile strength noises, winding and unwinding, violin strings snapping every night.

I shout stop. Silence in the hot night. Then frogs start bassoons.

Martin Willitts, Jr.

first place

My name is Martin Willitts Jr. I am a retired Library Director. I have published 20 fulllength collections of poetry.

This was the first time I wrote a sijo. I worked on it over and over. I have more experience with haiku, tanka, and haibun.

My hobby is organic gardening and I have taught myself about growing healing plants.

My personal hero is my grandparents that taught me the value of silent worship and working in the old ways of farming.

I was actually a blacksmith when I was a teen. As a poet, my goal is to improve my poems and poetic techniques.

Adult Sijo Division - Winning Entries

second place

Stephanie Malley Trafford, PA

Mourning My Mom All those months of hospice I pictured us easing into goodbye: Family gathered at the end, taking turns holding her hand.

Then she died suddenly alone, leaving us empty-handed.

Stephanie Malley

second place

I’m a stay-at-home mom who likes to read (juvenile fiction especially), pray, encourage others, and engage in verbal wordplay around the dinner table with my family. I consider myself an occasional poet because I tend to write only when inspired; however, I enjoy participating in April’s National Poetry Writing Month prompts, and it was a prompt on napowrimo.net one year ago that introduced me to the sijo form.

I followed the link to the Sejong Cultural Society’s guide to writing sijo and submitted my first one just before the competition closed. In studying past winners’ entries this time, I realized I hadn’t understood the twist correctly, so I paid particular attention to getting that right.

“Mourning My Mom” is one of an ongoing series of poems—sijos, fibs, shadormas—written after the recent deaths of my parents. These short poetic forms are like small word puzzles—I love figuring out how to make everything I want to include fit within the structure of the poem.

Adult Sijo Division - Winning Entries

third place

Ben Griffis

Alexandria, VA

Glittering stars dot velvet sky, the beach beckons, we stroll along.

Gentle waves caress bare feet tickling our toes, I pull you near.

In moonlight, your eyes reflect pain of our lost years together.

Ben Griffis third place

I am a statistician in the DC area, where I live with my wife and energetic yellow lab. In my free time I enjoy learning about Korean history, writing, learning languages, and analyzing soccer matches & data.

I heard about this competition after searching the internet for information about Sijo, which I discovered through my interest in Korean history and culture. Everything about the art form immediately piqued my interest and I'm very grateful for all the great resources the Sejong Cultural Society has on the website. They provided direction to start learning more and more about the style of poetry.

Reading and writing Sijo has been a wonderful (always unfinished) journey. My favorite aspect of Sijo is that the third line can completely shift the meaning of the first two, retaining their words but altering their underlying feeling. The demand of Sijo to do that both quickly and coherently makes me appreciate all authors for their skill. I'm excited to continue my journey learning about and writing Sijo.

Sijo Category

PRE-COLLEGE division

Pre-College Sijo Division - Winning Entries

first place

Gabrielle Wincherhern Woodbridge, CT

12th grade, (Jennifer Bonaldo) Amity Regional High School

the sun (and its arms) if i am the sun, then you are the ever-lovely night. daily i chase you when i rise just to see you fade from the sky. is this love? rays always stretching towards things i can never reach.

Gabrielle Wincherhern first place I'm Gabrielle Wincherhern, and I'm a senior at Amity High School. In college, I'd like to study conservation biology, psychology, foreign languages, and digital media. In addition to writing, I enjoy reading, animating, drawing, playing video games, and music, though writing is the longest-held of any of these hobbies.

While writing this sijo, I learned how to be short with my writing. Often my writing is overly verbose, but writing a poem as short as a sijo forced me to pare down my writing and make my words count.

I wanted to capture the feeling of wanting things one would or could never have, and it was something of a challenge for me to get it across in so little words. Admittedly, I thought the possibility of being awarded in this contest might turn out to be yet another thing I wanted but couldn't have, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out otherwise. I'm so honored to have received an award.

Pre-College Sijo Division - Winning Entries second place

Natalie Vogt Hartland, WI

12th grade, (Elizabeth Jorgensen) Arrowhead Union High School

CNA “Doing the dirty work,” they say about my kind of work.

If you saw the sorrow and sadness within their eyes and souls, you too would do the “dirty work” to bring them a sliver of joy.

Natalie Vogt

second place

I am a senior at Arrowhead High School. I play basketball for my school team and I also run track. I love to be outdoors and take my dogs on walks. I also have recently found a love of reading.

In my future, I hope to participate in more writing competitions, just like this one.

I learned about the sijo competition through my creative writing class at Arrowhead High School. My teacher, Ms. Jorgensen, taught my class about sijo poems. Writing sijo poems taught me how to convey my thoughts in a limited amount of words. It showed me that sometimes saying less is more.

I am planning on attending the University of Northern Iowa where I will be majoring in Psychology and minoring in Criminology. I am also a competitive swimmer so I will be swimming at the University of Northern Iowa.

Pre-College

Sijo Division - Winning Entries

third place

Cathy Nguyen

San Gabirel, CA 12th grade, (Marquerita Drew) Gabrielino High School

Butterfly I grew the seeds you planted in my head: my veins burst with buds, my tears sweet with nectar; for you I became a garden.

But still, you flutter by, lured by the scent of what’s out of reach.

Cathy Nguyen

third place

My name is Cathy Nguyen and I am currently a senior at Gabrielino High School. I heard about this competition from my AP Lit teacher, Mrs. Drew as part of an extra credit assignment. I am grateful to her for always pushing us to do our best and go beyond.

While writing my sijo, I learned to simply go with the flow of writing and accept changes to my initial ideas as I go along. Originally, I wanted to use the metaphor of a butterfly to convey a different topic but my ideas gradually evolved during my process into something better.

The experience taught me that poetry is a journey with many twists and turns; the results aren’t always what you expect.

In my free time, I enjoy making art, whether it be drawing, painting, or sticker decos. I also enjoy seeing because I have a profound love for plushies and my favorite one is named Momo.

My personal heroes are my sister and my best friend. My sister has always encouraged me to pursue my creative interests and stay true to who I am. My best friend is the most resilient person I know and her endless support has helped me overcome many obstacles.

Next fall, I’m planning to go to UC Irvine and major in Psychology.

My future goal is to become a nurse, have a family, and to do things that make me happy.

Pre-College Sijo Division - Winning Entries

Honorable mention

Friend of the Pacific Rim Award

Elizabeth Gill Dublin, OH

11th grade, (Tim Flora) Dublin Jerome High School

June 26, 2015 The bells chime ringing out joy white lace trails throughout the halls Celebrating love and light but some frown offended Disgusted by the ceremony it's different when it's two brides

Elizabeth Gill

honorable mention I heard about this competition from my English teacher, and I learned about how to put my ideas in different formatting to further shape them!

My hobbies include singing and writing, and I also love tea.

My personal hero is my mom, for always working harder than she needs to.

My future goals are to get my IB diploma, and to broaden my knowledge at college.

Pre-College Sijo Division - Winning Entries

Honorable mention

Friend of the Pacific Rim Award

Emma Homrig Redwood City, CA

8th grade, (Suhail Rafidi) Odyssey Middle School

Late night witchcraft Sizzle and pop. I'm summoning the sandman with my cauldron pot Cumin, nutmeg, and chamomile I stir into my goblet I drink a sip of tea and fall into a deep, dream-filled sleep

Abigayle Groth

honorable mention My name is Emma Homrig, I would like to say thank you for looking at my work. I am in 8th grade at Odyssey School in San Mateo and I learned about this competition through my language arts teacher, Suhail Rafidi. He encourages us to branch out and share our writing with the world.

While writing my poem I learned how much I enjoy expressing myself through words on a page, whether it be hobbies or sides of myself I don't get to show often.

My personal interests include reading, writing, Japanese language and culture, crew, and cooking. I would say the person I look up to most is my sister, she is very passionate about rowing and school. Every day I learn something new from her.

As for future goals, I am only thirteen but I think I want to pursue cooking and eventually run my own restaurant.

Pre-College Sijo Division - Winning Entries

Honorable mention

Friend of the Pacific Rim Award

Izeabella Jerger

Oconomowoc, WI 11th Grade, (Elizabeth Jorgensen) Arrowhead Union High School

Disgustingly, I stare at her. She's so ugly. I hate her.

Frayed fingernails. Acne-covered skin. Chubby body. Stained teeth.

I despise her. I wish I could punch her. But then the mirror would shatter.

Izeabella Jerger

honorable mention I first heard about this sijo competition from my creative writing teacher Ms. Jorgensen.

Writing this sijo taught me a whole new writing style that I hadn't heard of before and it got me interested in learning more styles that I haven't been taught.

I love to do art and have formed an interest in Criminology, which I’d like to learn more about; I hope to pursue it in the future.

My personal hero would have to be my mom. She has always been there for me and supported me through everything that I do and I hope to continue making her proud.

Pre-College Sijo Division - Winning Entries

Honorable mention

Friend of the Pacific Rim Award

Ashley Park Dix Hills, NY

(Rachel Crowe) Half Hollow Hills High School West

Shoes “sturdy shoes will walk you to better places” mother told me so she stitched daffodils, storks, and crescent moons on the leather those shoes don’t fit me anymore, replaced with shoes bought with dreams

Pre-College Sijo Division - Winning Entries

Honorable mention

Friend of the Pacific Rim Award

Christina Todd Chattanooga, TN

12th grade, (Chuck Newell) Notre Dame High School

I scratch behind his soft ear as he slowly drifts off to sleep.

It’s been a long day for my best friend – my canine companion.

The vet pats my shoulder and says, “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

Lukas Paegle honorable mention My name is Christina Todd, and I am a senior at Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

I plan on majoring in business and digital design at Furman University next fall. I am copresident of our school’s botany club and enjoy reading, skating, and playing guitar.

I learned about this competition through my AP English teacher, Mr. Newell. Writing this sijo allowed me to express my creativity and feelings about a very personal experience.

I’d like to say thank you to Mr. Newell who has been an amazing teacher this year and has taught me so much.

Essay Category

Competition Judges

2022 Sejong Writing Competition

Essay Category Judges Essay Judges: Sung Woo | Melanie Han | An Na

Sung Woo essay

Sung J. Woo's short stories and essays have appeared in The New York Times, PEN/Guernica, and Vox. He has written three novels, Skin Deep (2020), Love Love (2015) and Everything Asian (2009), which won the 2010 Asian Pacific American Librarians Association Literature Award (Youth category). In 2014, Everything Asian was chosen for Coming Together in Skokie and Niles Township.

A graduate of Cornell University with an MFA from New York University, he lives in Washington, New Jersey. https://www.sungjwoo.com/

Melanie Han essay

Born in Korea and raised in East Africa, Melanie Hyo-In Han recently moved from Boston to Seoul where she’s a writer and a teacher.

Nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Han has received awards from “Boston in 100 Words,” Valiant Scribe, Constellations, The Lyric Magazine, and elsewhere. She is the author of Sandpaper Tongue, Parchment Lips (Finishing Line Press) and the translator of several collections of Spanish poetry (Hebel Ediciones).

She holds a B.A. in English, Spanish, and Linguistics, and an M.Ed. in Secondary English and Spanish from Gordon College, and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing (Poetry and Translation) from Emerson College where she taught in the Writing Studies Program and served as an ELL Consultant.

Currently, Han is the Co-Editor-in-Chief at Flora Fiction and teaches English, Spanish, and Creative Writing.

Learn more about her at melaniehan.com.

AN Na essay

An Na is the author of four novels, including The Place Between Breaths, The Fold, Wait for Me, and A Step from Heaven, which was a National Book Award Finalist and won the ALA’s Michael L. Printz Award.

Her honors include the International Reading Association Award asnd the Parents Choice Gold Award, and her books have been named as ALA Best Books for Young Adults and a New York Times Notable Book.

She teaches at Vermont College of Fine Arts in the Writing for Children and Young Adults MFA. For more information: www.AnWriting.com

Sijo Category

Competition Judges

2022 Sejong Writing Competition

Sijo Category Judges Sijo Judges: David McCann | Mark Peterson | Seong-Kon Kim | Gyung-ryul Jang |

David McCann sijo

David McCann served in the first Peace Corps group to go to Korea, 1966-68, then received M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University. He taught Classical Japanese language and literature at Cornell University, and then Korean literature at Cornell and at Harvard. He retired in 2014 as the first Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Literature at Harvard.

David has published 32 books. Eleven collections of his poems have been published, including a dual-language edition of his sijo poems, Urban Temple, originally published by Bo Leaf Books in 2010, from Changbi Publishers, Seoul, in 2012. Three of his collections—Out of Words, Lost and Found, and Same Bird—have been published by Moon Pie Press. Most recently, a chapbook collection of his poems, The Under Story, was published by the poets group Every Other Thursday, in 2021.

David McCann’s poems have received a Pushcart Prize, Touchstone Award, and publication in Haiku 2015, 100 notable Haiku from 2014. He received the Korean Manhae Prize in 2004 and the Korean Culture Order of Merit in 2006. His sijo poem “Landscape,” published in the Arlington Red Letter Poem Project, was translated and carved into one of the stones in the Sijo Stones Garden in Boryeong, Korea.

Mark Peterson sijo

Mark Peterson (Professor Emeritus of Korean history, literature and language, Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages. Brigham Young University, Provo, UT) received B.A.'s in Asian Studies and Anthropology from Brigham Young University in 1971. He received his M.A. in 1973 and his Ph.D. in 1987, both from Harvard University in the field of East Asian Languages and Civilization.

Prior to coming to BYU in 1984 he was the director of the Fulbright program in Korea from 1978 to 1983. He has been the coordinator of the Asian Studies Program and was the director of the undergraduate programs in the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies.

Dr. Peterson is a member of the Association for Asian Studies, where he was formerly the chair of the Korean Studies Committee; was also the book review editor for the Journal of Asian Studies for Korean Studies books. He is also a member of the Royal Asiatic Society, the International Association

for Korean Language Education, the International Korean Literature Association, and the American Association of Korean Teachers. He served as past editor-in-chief for the Korea Journal, published by UNESCO in Korea, from 2015 to 2017.

Currently he is working with a research center he founded called The Frog Outside the Well Research Center, which publishes an active YouTube channel by that name. He also writes a weekly column for the Korea Times.

Seong-Kon Kim sijo

Seong-Kon Kim is a Professor Emeritus of Seoul National University. From 2012 to 2017, Kim was President of the Literary Translation Institute of Korea (a ministerial appointment with the Government of the Republic of Korea).

On May 19, 2017, Kim received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the State University of New York "in recognition of the profound impact Professor Kim has had as a cultural and literary bridge between Korea and the United States.” In 2018, Kim taught at George Washington University as Dean's Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Humanities and at the University of Málaga in Spain as a Visiting Professor. In the same year, Felipe VI, King of Spain, decorated Kim with La Orden del Merito Civil (The Order of Chivalry). In 2019, Kim taught at the University of California, Irvine as a Visiting Professor.

Currently, he is a Visiting Scholar at Dartmouth College. Professor Kim received his Ph.D. in English from SUNY/Buffalo under Professor Leslie A. Fiedler and studied comparative literature at Columbia University under Professor Edward W. Said.

Professor Kim has received, among others, the SUNY/Buffalo International Distinguished Alumni Award, CU Distinguished Alumnus Award, and the Fulbright Distinguished Alumnus Award. Kim was editor of literary journals such as Literature & Thought, 21st Century Literature, Contemporary World Literature and Korea Journal. In addition, Kim has been a regularly featured columnist for the Korea Herald since 2003. Previously, Professor Kim has taught at the University of California, Berkeley, Pennsylvania State University, and Brigham Young University and conducted research at HarvardYenching Institute and Oxford University.

Gyung-ryul Jang sijo

Gyung-ryul Jang received his B.A. and M.A. degrees in English from Seoul National University, Korea, and his Ph.D. degree in English from the University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Jang is now professor of English at Seoul National University.

He has contributed numerous articles on contemporary literary theory and Korean literature to various literary journals in Korea. He has recently published two books of critical essays in sijo poetry: Poetics of Temporality: Toward a New

Understanding of Sijo Poetry (Seoul: Seoul National University Press, 2013); and What Does Change and What Should Not Change: Critical Essays in Sijo Poetry (Seoul: Literary Notebook Pub. Co., 2017). Some other recent publications are as follows: Joy of Reading Poetry: A Critical Reading of Contemporary Korean Poetry (Seoul: Literary Notebook Pub. Co., 2014); What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen: Essays in Korean Literature (Seoul: Moonji Pub. Co., 2016); Somewhere Between Insight and Blindness: Critical Essays in Contemporary Korean Literary Trend (Seoul: Munhakdongne Pub. Group, 2017); and Is it a Petal or a Butterfly?: Essays in Korean Sijo and Japanese Haiku and Tanka (Seoul: Lyric Poetry & Poetics Pub. Co., 2017).