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Promising Teen Film-Maker Accepted into Harvard

Kim Youn received letters of admission from Harvard University and Princeton University last month. She moved to the United States when she was in her second year of middle school, after persuading her father to send her. Being admitted to one of the prestigious Ivy League universities is always admirable, although it is a feat achieved by many Korean students these days. But Kim's story differs from those of other smart students.

The 18-year-old girl made a 13-minute short film in the summer of 2008 titled "KH1", starring a camera craftsman running a repair shop in front of the Seoul Jungbu Police Station. She entered her film into 14 short film festivals around the world, and "KH1" was nominated for awards in all of them. It eventually won awards in three. She also received the Dream Invitation Motion Picture Award in Seoul in October 2008.

What is more admirable is that it was the first film she has ever shot and she did everything by herself, from editing to composing the score. Her adventure clearly won the hearts of admission committee members at Harvard and Princeton.

"I wanted to make a short film about the artisan spirit", said Kim. She added that she did not want to make a documentary merely citing facts, but rather wanted to deliver a clear message in an artistic manner. Of the five applications she wrote, she was accepted to three universities and chose Harvard. Kim plans to study Latin and science to deepen her knowledge of the world of film.

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