Painting the Message of Peace: 7th Peace-Loving Drawing Competition Korea Awards Ceremony

On August 12, 2025, the 7th Peace-Loving Drawing Competition Korea Awards Ceremony was held at Haegwan 1897, Mokpo’s Culinary Culture Gallery, hosted by the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG).

The event celebrated the creativity and vision of young artists across Korea, whose works conveyed powerful messages of peace to the world.

Honoring Korea’s Young Peace Ambassadors

A total of 12 students from elementary to high school, selected from across the nation, received top honors.
The first-place winners were:

• Kim Chae-ah, Grade 3, Namho Elementary School (Donghae)

• Jegal Byeol-ha, Grade 4, Iro Elementary School (Mokpo)

• Lee Si-eun, Grade 2, Harang Middle School (Donghae)

• Park Ji-woo, Grade 2, Myungjin High School (Gwangju South)

In the Special Awards category, the President of the Federation of Artistic and Cultural Organizations of Korea Award went to Ha Yu-jin (Grade 3, Seongwon Elementary School, Chuncheon) and three others, while the President of the Korea Fine Arts Association Award went to Yoon Seo-ha (Grade 3, Cheongho Elementary School, Mokpo) and three others.

A Ceremony Filled with Warmth and Inspiration

The ceremony opened with a welcome address by IWPG Chairwoman Jeon Na-young and congratulatory remarks from Park Soo-kyung, a member of the Mokpo City Council. Highlights included a video presentation of the Korea preliminary competition and the awarding of prizes—first prizes were presented by Chairwoman Jeon, while special awards were presented by Jeon Kyung-sun, a Jeollanam-do Provincial Assembly member, and Choi Kyung-nam, IWPG Secretary General.

Adding a heartfelt touch, first-prize winners Park Ji-woo and Kim Chae-ah personally delivered acceptance speeches, sharing their hopes for peace. A mother-daughter duo, Park Ye-won and Kang Tae-yeon (10), presented a special peace-themed duet poem performance.

Recognizing Talent and Effort

Chief Judge Kang Hyung-deok, President of the Incheon Chapter of the Korea Fine Arts Association, praised the quality and originality of the submissions:

“The artistic level was extremely high, with many fresh and moving works. The 12 selected pieces showed exceptional skill in expressing the theme of peace. We take pride in the fairness and rigor of the judging process.”

 

A Global Stage for Korea’s Young Artists

Distinguished guests included Kim Dae-jung, Superintendent of Education for Jeollanam-do, and Lee Tae-in, Chairperson of the Dongdaemun District Council. Overseas dignitaries also sent congratulatory video messages, including Pascal Esho Warda, former Minister of Immigration and Refugees of Iraq, and Faiza Abdelakib Salam, Vice Minister of Culture of Yemen.

The Peace-Loving Drawing Competition is an international peace culture initiative that invites children and youth from around the world to deliver peace messages through art. The winners of the Korea preliminaries will advance to the international finals in September, joining young peace advocates worldwide in promoting a culture of peace.

Source: https://vo.la/eSWucD