The students who received the awards (Grand Best Award receiver
Ms. Inyoung Kang and AKU-Washington President Ms. Yusook Kim)
Alliance for Korea United – Washington (President Yusook Kim) held the 1st Korean Dream Talk Concert. Ms. Inyoung Kang (Mclean High School VA 11th Grade) won the Grand Best Prize on December 13th.
This event was held by Alliance for Korea United for sharing the next generation’s views toward the unification and their constrictive future vision with 15 middle and high school students in Washington DC area. The participants wrote their essays and presented their speeches about the issues which they have interest in the area of the unification and North Korea Human Rights with their thought and future vision.
Julie Turner, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for North Korean Human Rights Issues (fifth from the right), the students, judges, members of the Alliance for Korea United, and heads of Korean organizations are taking a commemorative photo
The event was held at the Washington Korean Community Center, the students also had a Q&A session with Ambassador Julie Tanner, the U.S. Department of States U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues.
Ms. In-young Kang received the Grand Best Award ($700) for her presentation titled “What kind of unification is needed for the MZ generation?” Mr. Edward Y. Lee (8th grade, Rocky Run Middle School) received the Grand Prize ($500) for his presentation titled “Why North and South Korea should Unify?” Ms. Chloe Lee (10th grade, Chantilly High School), Mr. Jaejun Lee (11th grade, Okton High School), and Riwon Yu (10th grade, TJHSST) received the Excellence Award ($200). Ms. Angelina Oh, Mr. Jaejun Lee, Mr. David Kim, Mr. Robert Yoon, Mr. Se-in Kim, and Ms. Se-ryeong Kim received the encouragement award ($100), and Mr. Ari Hyun, Ijun Yu, Ms. Kimberly Lee, and Ms. Rachel Krol received the Recognition Award ($50).
U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues, Ambassador Julie Turner had Q&A session with the students
The Grand Best Award receiver Ms. In-young Kang said, “I really didn’t think that I would win the Grand Award since all the students prepared so hard, but I am truly honored to receive such a big award,” and added, “While preparing for this presentation, I realized anew how deeply unification is connected to the future of our generation, and it became an opportunity for me to take an interest in the topic of unification. I hope that the message I delivered resonated with many people, and in the future, I want to become a student who learns and thinks more about unification.”
The judges of the contest, Mr. In-sup Han (former Director of Korean Service at Voice of America), Ms. Esther Kim (former Fairfax County public school teacher), and Ms. Seung-hee Nah (Chair of Korean American Sharing Movement), did praised and encouraged the students’ essays, saying they were high level and impressed by their ability to understand the contents and present them very well.
Taking memorial picture with the award receivers and the judges and the organizer
Mrs. Eun-ok Seok, Kang (President of the Kang Young-woo Scholarship Foundation) presented copies of Dr. Kang Young-woo’s autobiography to each student who participated the contest, while Ms. Seung-hee Nah, who worked hard as a judge, presented gift cards worth $30 to each participant, and former teacher Ms. Esther Kim presented chocolates to each.
President of AKU-Washington Yusook Kim said, “You are the protagonists of a unified Korea in the future,” and added, “Although you live in the United States, the Republic of Korea is your parents’ country, and today’s small participation is an opportunity to think about and empathize with Free & Unified Korea and North Korean human rights for the freedom and peace of the future Republic of Korea.” She expressed gratitude for the challenge and participation. She added, “Our organization will continue to hold unification events for the next generation.”