Korean cartoon competition goes international

By Lee Hyo-won

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Today's society is an extremely visual and trendy one, and images, audiovisuals and design elements have become an integral part of the way people perceive the world and communicate with one another. Among the colorful media that surrounds us, the appeal of classic cartoons and animations nevertheless continue to captivate and inspire.

Talent for rendering cartoons and animation can usually be spotted at a young age, and a nationwide competition has been showcasing works by local students, ranging from kindergarten to high school students.

The HYO Cartoon Competition, organized by Kyungmin College in Gyeonggi Province, moreover, is bringing together young minds to reflect on the namesake age-old tradition, "hyo" or filial piety. After two successful runs, the competition is now looking to expand its horizons, to become an international event beginning with its third edition in 2011.

The Korea Times met with Hong Moon-jong, chairman of the HYO Cartoon Competition Organizing Committee and president of Kyungmin College, to discuss the event's ambitions.

Q: The HYO Cartoon Competition was launched only last year but has already grown into a large national event. What makes this competition so special?

A: The success of the first and second editions of the competition was extremely surprising. We had no idea that local students — from kindergarten to high school — would be so enthusiastic about cartoons and animation.
In the first year (2009) we received more than 3,000 submissions and in May, we received more than 5,400 — which is a record number for any given local competition.

The cartoon competition was launched to embrace and promote the traditional Korean concept of hyo (filial piety), as well as to share warm familial and neighborly love within our community.

The competition accepts cartoons about filial piety, which is a universal concept here, and some of the hand-drawn works we received from remote islands and mountainous regions in Korea were truly touching.

As you know, cartoons and animation along with character design serve as a common form of communication among youths, and I think this factor was also behind the event's success.

Q: There must be some correlation between the competition's success and the reputation of Kyungmin's cartoon and animation studies.

A: Yes. First of all, Kyungmin's motto is embracing filial piety, which resonates very well with the competition's aim. We are very proud of our cartoon/animation major here. Obviously we are a two-year college and no Ivy League institute. But the wonderful advantage of the cartoon/animation field is that educational background is of little importance and works are published under the artist's name only.

Students majoring in cartoon/animation at Kyungmin, moreover, gain professional experience during their study here, by interning or working for newspapers, etc.

Currently, about 90 percent of the senior class (due to graduate in March 2011) has already been hired, and our professors complain that it's difficult to give lectures (due to absences). It's a happy complaint, obviously.

Q: What do you hope to achieve by turning the competition into an international one?

A: The idea of hyo transcends all cultural and religious borders, and can be found in Christianity, Buddhism, Confucianism and Korean folk traditions, and anywhere else in the world. We hope to contemplate the meaning and importance of family love with the global community by accepting submissions from overseas. We are striving to promote world peace and humanity through the event, and expect to receive some 10,000 submissions from around the world.

These days even education seems to serve only as a means of admission to brand-name universities or employment, rather than foster good character. Broken, dysfunctional families are becoming prevalent, as if forgetting all about the resilient family and community bond that kept Korea whole through all the times of turbulence (war and colonization).

Kyungmin's motto is all about hyo, and we hope this competition will bring some warmth into our community.

The cartoon character design section of the competition is accepting submission of designs of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. I know Mr. Ban personally — we're both Harvard alums — and wrote to him asking for his support of the project.

Competition details
Domestic and international kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school students are encouraged to submit cartoons, animation storyboards and character designs. Cartoons and animation story boards should feature one of three themes, "mother's hands (warm touch)", "father's tears" or "our happy home". Character designs should be of United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Kindergarten and elementary students should use either A4 or A3 paper; middle and high school students are required to draw their works on A3 paper. All contestants must submit original copies of their work and an application form (to be downloaded from www.hyotoon.com).

The judges will weigh how the theme of filial piety was incorporated, as well as the creativity and expressiveness of the drawing and the artistry and efforts behind the work in consideration of the age group (kindergarten/elementary/middle/high school).
Prizes: One grand prize (3 million won); four gold prizes (1 million won each); 10 silver prizes (500,000 won each); 30 bronze prizes (300,000 won each); and a select number of special prizes

Submission date: Postmarked by May 16, 2011

Hosted by: Kyungmin College

Organized by: International HYO Cartoon Competition Organizing Committee

Sponsored by: The Korea Times, Uijeongbu City Hall, Asia Journalist Association, EBS, Seoul Metro, Korea Manhwa Contents Agency, Metropolitan Office of Education of Korean cities

Contact:
Mail submissions to 562-1 Ganeung 3-dong, Kyungmin College, Hyohaenggwan 506, Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.

For more information, call (031) 828-7432/7 or visit the www.hyotoon.com (English site under construction). Overseas applicants can email hyotoon2011@naver.com.

Hong Moon-jong, president of Kyungmin College and chairman of the International HYO Cartoon Competition, speaks to The Korea Times, Dec. 1, in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul