Communicating Through Picture Books... Online Awards Ceremony of the 1st Korea-Arab Picture Book Translation Contest

The 1st Korea-Arab Picture Book Translation Contest online awards ceremony is currently being held online using Zoom.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] The online awards ceremony for the "1st Korea-Arab Picture Book Translation Contest," co-hosted by the Korea-Arab Society (KAS) Foundation and the KBBY International Board on Books for Young People, was held on the 18th.

The ceremony was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the S-Oil Science and Culture Foundation.

The online ceremony connected four countries and was attended by three representatives from Arab embassies as award presenters, including Asal Al-Tal, Ambassador of Jordan to Korea.

The contest involved Korean picture books being translated into Arabic by Korean students majoring in Arabic and Arab students majoring in Korean, running for about four months since applications opened in April.

A total of 256 students from 10 universities across four countries?Korea, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan?demonstrated their abilities in a platform for language and cultural exchange and mutual understanding, resulting in 20 awardees.

The first prize winners were four individuals: Jang Chang-jin from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Hanin Kairi from Ain Shams University in Egypt, Maha Almansouri from a university in the UAE, and Mais Karaisat from the University of Jordan.

Byun Yoon-hee, President of KBBY, said, "Let us create a peaceful world where the world exchanges and communicates through picture books together."

Ma Young-sam, Secretary General of the Korea-Arab Society, said, "We will expand and develop the contest to activate publishing exchanges between the two countries and serve as a bridgehead for cultural exchange."

Issa Al-Samahi, Deputy Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates, said, "We appreciate the focus on children, who are important members of our society."