Haenam County Holds "Happiness Essay" Contest in Honor of Monk Beopjeong

Theme: "Simply, Live in the Present"

Haenam County in South Jeolla Province (Governor Myung Hyun-gwan) and the publishing house Booksan are holding the 2nd Ttangkkeut Haenam Happiness Essay Contest in honor of Monk Beopjeong.

According to the county on April 24, the contest is being held for the second year with the aim of reflecting on and sharing moments of living life to the fullest today, inspired by the teachings of Monk Beopjeong.

Beopjeong Temple Monk Village Library located in Usuyeong, Munnae-myeon. Provided by Haenam County

The theme of this year's contest is "Simply, Live in the Present." Participants are invited to submit stories that reflect on moments when they were truly present in their busy daily lives or share their own methods for living life to the fullest, thereby contemplating the meaning of today.

Essays must be at least 10 manuscript pages, or at least one and a half A4 pages (font size 10 to 11), and should be submitted via email. The submission period is two months, ending on June 10. Both Korean nationals and foreigners residing in Korea are eligible to participate. After the submissions are received, the winning entries will be announced on June 30 following a review process.

The winning essays will be published in a single volume and distributed to major bookstores and online bookstores nationwide. In addition, separate prizes will be awarded: the Grand Prize (Haenam County specialty products worth 500,000 won for one person), First Prize (Haenam County specialty products worth 200,000 won for one person), and Excellence Prize (Haenam County specialty products worth 100,000 won for three people).

For more details, refer to the Booksan Publishing House blog or Haenam County's Sotonet. This contest is being organized in conjunction with the Beopjeong Monk Village Library, which was established to commemorate and honor the life and teachings of Monk Beopjeong.

In 2022, the county established the Beopjeong Monk Village Library in Usuyeong, Munnae-myeon, the birthplace of Monk Beopjeong, who was born in Haenam and lived a life of action based on the philosophy of non-possession until his passing in 2010. The library preserves the monk's relics and books and serves as a cultural space for tourists visiting Usuyeong.

A county official stated, "We believe that taking the time to reflect on sentences embodying Monk Beopjeong's philosophy and to share one's own story in life is, in itself, a path to practicing happiness," and encouraged many people to participate.