Open to All Adults Nationwide... Online Applications Accepted Until the 15th
The scene from the 1st competition held on November 30 last year at Taean Culture and Arts Center. The photo shows the grand prize winner Chunshil Kim (63, Chilgok, Gyeongbuk) and Saero Ga, the governor of Taean County, posing for a commemorative photo. Photo by Taean County
A national poetry recitation contest in memory of the late poet Chae Gwangseok, who left a significant mark on the Korean national literature scene in the 1980s, will be held in his hometown of Taean-gun, Chungnam Province.
Taean-gun announced on the 7th that the 2nd Taean Poet the Late Chae Gwangseok Memorial National Poetry Recitation Contest will be held on the 29th at the Grand Performance Hall of the Taean Culture and Arts Center.
This competition aims to honor the achievements of the late poet Chae Gwangseok, who was born in Anmyeon-eup, Taean-gun, and to enhance the cultural value of Taean. A total of 5.2 million KRW in prize money will be awarded.
The contest is open to all adults nationwide, but to ensure fairness, previous first-prize winners of other national-level contests are not eligible to apply.
Those wishing to participate can download the application form from the county office website, fill it out, and submit it along with one poetry recitation audio file (up to 3 minutes) and one recitation script by email by November 15.
The county will conduct preliminary judging from the 18th to the 22nd based on criteria such as understanding and selection of the poem, vocalization, and expressiveness. Finalists will be announced on the Taean-gun website on the 25th.
The finals, scheduled for the 29th, are expected to feature up to 50 participants based on the results of the preliminary round. The event will be held in a live recitation format starting at 10 a.m. at the Grand Performance Hall of the Taean Culture and Arts Center.
A total of nine winners will be awarded: one grand prize, one gold prize, two silver prizes, two bronze prizes, and three encouragement prizes. Winners will receive both prize money and certificates. The prize amounts are as follows: Grand Prize - 2 million KRW; Gold Prize - 1 million KRW; Silver Prize - 500,000 KRW each; Bronze Prize - 300,000 KRW each; Encouragement Prize - 200,000 KRW each.
A county official stated, "Following last year, we are holding the poetry recitation contest again this year to share and honor the life and legacy of the late poet Chae Gwangseok from Anmyeon-eup, Taean-gun," and added, "We hope for the enthusiastic participation of poetry lovers."
Meanwhile, the late Chae Gwangseok, poet and literary critic, was born in Anmyeon-eup in 1948. He began his career in 1983 by publishing the literary critique 'Absence of Shame and Power' and the poem 'Good News Delivered by the Bedbug.' He contributed to the literary debate of the 1980s by advocating for a people's national literature theory, becoming a prominent figure in the field of literary criticism.
In 1974, he was arrested for participating in the so-called 'O-dul-dul Incident,' a protest against Emergency Measure No. 9, and was later arrested and tortured again after the 'Seoul Spring' in 1980 for violating martial law. After his release, he served as an executive member of the Association of Writers for Practical Freedom, but died in a traffic accident in July 1987 at the age of 39.
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