Multiple Past Award Records Estimated for the Subject Found
Amid the buzz surrounding 'Pyeonghwanuri Special Self-Governing Province,' which was selected as the grand prize winner in the nationwide contest to rename the Northern Gyeonggi Special Self-Governing Province, the background of the contestant who proposed this name is also drawing attention.
"Contest Hunter, 'You Quiz' Please Invite Her"…91-Year-Old Grandmother Who Won 'Pyeonghwanuri Province' Grand Prize Draws Attention
On the 1st, artist Seok Chang-woo revealed the new name "Pyeonghwanuri Special Self-Governing Province," which won the grand prize, at the public briefing session for the new name of the Northern Gyeonggi Special Self-Governing Province held at the Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Office in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province. [Image source=Yonhap News]
On the 1st, Gyeonggi Province held the 'Northern Gyeonggi Special Self-Governing Province New Name National Report Meeting' and announced that the grand prize winner of the contest was Shin Jeong-im (91), who lives in Daegu. Shin received a prize of 10 million KRW and a certificate from the governor. However, Shin's son attended the award ceremony on her behalf. The results were also posted on the Gyeonggi Province website.
After the contest results were announced, netizens focused on Shin's background. By searching with 'Shin*im' and the last digits of the phone number posted on the website, they found multiple submissions by her. Shin won 200,000 KRW in November last year in the 'Sinpyeongjangnim Industrial Complex Naming Contest' held in Saha-gu, Busan. In 2021, she won the grand prize in the slogan category of the 'Korea Human Resources Development Service Process Evaluation Contest.'
Additionally, her record includes ▲Busan Tourism Pass English Name Contest (won a chicken voucher) ▲Gwangju Buk-gu Complex Cultural Welfare Community Center Naming Contest (encouragement prize) ▲Gimpo City Lifelong Education Brand Naming Contest (honorable mention) ▲42nd Anniversary 5·18 Democratic Uprising Commemoration Event Slogan Contest (excellence award) ▲Exciting Art Travel New Name Contest (participation prize), among others.
Netizens believe that the person who submitted entries to these contests and the grand prize winner of the Pyeonghwanuri Special Self-Governing Province contest are the same individual. Comments included, "The 91-year-old grandmother turned out to be a contest hunter," "She is a naming genius," "Her sense is extraordinary," and "Please invite her to 'You Quiz on the Block'." However, some expressed skepticism, questioning, "Can a 91-year-old elder participate in contests using a computer or smartphone like that?" and speculated that another family member might have submitted on her behalf or that Gyeonggi Province had a preselected candidate, fueling conspiracy theories.
The presumed background of the winner of the Grand Prize in the new name contest for the Gyeonggi Northern Special Self-Governing Province promoted by Gyeonggi Province. [Image source=Online community capture]
'Pyeonghwanuri' name was selected first, and the grand prize was awarded to the earliest submitter... "No issues"
However, Gyeonggi Province maintains that there were no problems with the contest process. The new name was selected from 52,435 submissions. Ten candidate names were shortlisted, followed by three rounds of evaluation, online voting, and final review by expert judges. Experts in publicity, naming, and history participated in the judging process. According to prior notice, among those who submitted the name 'Pyeonghwanuri,' the grand prize winner was determined on a first-come, first-served basis. Also, this contest did not finalize the official name of the Northern Gyeonggi Special Self-Governing Province.
"Is it right for outsiders to name a place?"…Strong criticism poured in on the petition
Nearly 30,000 people agreed within a day to a post titled "Opposing the Peace Nuri Autonomous Province (Separation of Northern Gyeonggi Province)" on the Gyeonggi Provincial Government website's Gyeonggi Residents' Petition section. [Image source=Captured from Gyeonggi Provincial Government website]
Meanwhile, residents of the province have expressed strong opposition to the name 'Pyeonghwanuri Province.' Nearly 30,000 people agreed within a day to a petition titled 'Opposing Pyeonghwanuri Province (Northern Gyeonggi Division)' posted on the Gyeonggi Provincial Government website's citizen petition board the day before. The petitioner, who identified as a citizen of Namyangju, questioned whether the division reflected residents' opinions and strongly criticized the name 'Pyeonghwanuri Special Self-Governing Province' as an ideologically biased, pro-North Korean label that is regressive and a ridiculous name fit for satire on a comedy show. If a petition receives more than 10,000 signatures within 30 days, Gyeonggi Governor Kim Dong-yeon must respond directly.
Comments on the petition included, "It's surprising such a name came from brainstorming," "Isn't the name related to a cult?" "It feels like North Korea," and "I don't understand why a name proposed by outsiders was accepted in the first place."
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