"Planting Words Again This Year" ... Nationwide and Gyeongnam Adult Literacy Education Poetry Contest Winners Draw Attention

Grandmother Park Sun-ja's work at the Adult Literacy Education Poetry and Painting Exhibition. (Photo by Sancheong-gun)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam announced on the 16th that Park Soon-ja (74, Geumseo-myeon) received the UNESCO Korea Committee Secretary-General Award, a special prize, at the 2020 National Adult Literacy Education Poetry and Painting Contest hosted by the Ministry of Education and jointly organized by the National Institute for Lifelong Education and the Gyeongnam Lifelong Education Promotion Institute.

Also, at the Gyeongnam poetry and painting contest, Im Boon-soon (87, Saengcho-myeon) received the Gyeongnam Governor's Award, the Euddeumgeul Award, and Park Ok-young (84, Saengbiryang-myeon) received the Gyeongnam Lifelong Education Promotion Institute Award, the Happiness Writing Award.

The Sancheong elders submitted works conveying courage and hope to those around us who are all going through difficult times due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

The theme was composed as poetry and painting under the title "One Step in Writing, Two Steps in Communication, Three Steps in Hope."

This year’s award-winning works will be exhibited online on the National Institute for Lifelong Education website and within Gyeongnam Provincial Office or Gyeongnam Research Institute during this month.

Sancheong-gun, selected as a lifelong learning city by the Ministry of Education and chosen for the Gyeongnam lifelong education public project for three consecutive years, has been operating a visiting adult literacy class for about 250 elders every year since 2017.

A county official said, "We once again congratulate and applaud the elders who have fulfilled their dream of lifelong learning," adding, "We will continue to develop and operate customized education programs so that anyone in Sancheong, regardless of age or gender, can enjoy and learn lifelong education."