Dignitaries and winners of the 11th Korea Multicultural Youth Awards pose after the prize ceremony at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, Monday. Among the dignitaries were, fourth from left in the back row Minister of Gender Equality and Family Kim Hyun-sook, fourth from right in the back row Ambassador of the Philippines to Korea Maria Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega and third from right in the back row Charge d'Affaires of Colombia to Korea Francisco Alberto Gonzalez. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

By Lee Hyo-jin

Eleven talented students from diverse backgrounds and one teacher were recognized for their achievements and exemplary deeds at the 11th Korea Multicultural Youth Awards ceremony, Monday.

The awards, given by The Korea Times, are aimed at encouraging students from multicultural backgrounds, who at times experience hardships due to cultural or language barriers.

The ceremony, held at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, was attended by awardees and their family members, as well as Gender Equality and Family Minister Kim Hyun-sook, the judges and representatives of the sponsors including Seong Sang-hwan, head of the Korean Association for Multicultural Education.

Ambassador of the Philippines to Korea Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega and Charge d'affaires of Colombia to Korea Francisco Alberto Gonzalez also attended the event.

Gender Equality and Family Minister Kim Hyun-sook poses with Jennifer Lee, the grand prize winner and a sixth grader at Sangtap Elementary School in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

The grand prize, presented by the gender equality and family minister, went to Jennifer Lee, a sixth grader at Sangtap Elementary School in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Born to a Mexican mother and a Korean father, Lee was recognized for her multilingual skills in Korean, Spanish, English and German, as well as her passion for sports.

"I am thankful to my family for always being there to support me. Along with many other children from multicultural backgrounds, I will not give up pursuing my dreams. I want to grow up as an adult who can contribute to our society," she said in her acceptance speech.

Grand prize winner Jennifer Lee delivers her acceptance speech during the 11th Korea Multicultural Youth Awards held at the Korea Press Center, Monday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo delivered his congratulatory remarks via video.

"As we enter an era where 1.1 million multicultural households are living across the country, Korea has already become a nation where diverse cultures and ethnicity coexist. As seen by the rising global popularity of K-content (Korean content), boundaries in cross-national borders, races and languages are becoming increasingly meaningless," he said.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo delivers his congratulatory remarks in a video message. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul