The 19th Annual National Korean Language Writing Contest, hosted by Yonsei University Korean Language Institute, was held on October 8 at Yonsei’s outdoor amphitheater. This contest marks the celebration of 564th observation of Korean Alphabet Proclamation Day, a day established to celebrate Korean alphabet Hangul and to promote excellence of Hangul globally. The contest was established in 1992 to promote friendship among the foreigners and overseas Koreans who are learning Korean language. A special note this year was that 355 participants hailing from Yonsei Korean Language School in the U.S. and Defense Language Institute participated. At the amphitheater, where the contest was held, a total of 1,774 foreign nationals from 78 countries and Korean-foreign nationals participated. In Poetry category, “Waiting” was the main theme, and in Essay category, “Photograph” was the theme. The grand prize for essay writing went to Euisun Moo, while the first place for poetry composition went to Tomaya Kiyo. They each received a trophy and 700,000 won in prize money from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and they also received the Yonsei University Presidential Award. Furthermore, a total of 69 participants received awards, trophies and prizes: Yonsei University Korean Language Institute Award, National International Education Award, King Sejong Memorial Award, Yonsei University Publishing & Culture Award, and Hangul Society Award. An additional 50 participants won lucky draw prizes. Throughout the competition, various events and performances such as Mask Dance (Tal Choom) and Taekwondo were performed.