Handwriting Is This Beautiful... Seeing the Award-Winning Works of the Handwriting Contest

The 9th Kyobo Handwriting Contest Success
Raising Awareness of 'Poor Handwriting' Issues in the Digital Age

As smartphones and tablet PCs become more familiar, the problem of children's 'poor handwriting' is gradually becoming more serious, and the recently held Kyobo Handwriting Contest attracted the highest number of participants ever, drawing attention.

Work by Song Yuha, the Grand Prize winner. [Image provided by Kyobo Bookstore]

Recently, Kyobo Bookstore announced that it selected 10 winners, including Woo Sun-ah, as the top prize recipients of the 9th Kyobo Handwriting Contest. The Kyobo Handwriting Contest is part of the 'Handwriting Culture Expansion Campaign,' created to reexamine the socio-cultural value of handwriting and encourage various handwriting activities. It has been held annually since 2015.

Work by 우선아, the Grand Prize winner.
[Image provided by Kyobo Bookstore]

Judge Yoo Ji-won, a typographer, commented on Woo's handwriting, saying, "The lively lift at the right end conveys the joy of writing," and "The rhythm of the lines harmonizes within the page, giving the impression of small droplets gathering to form a large droplet."

Woo said, "My attraction to handwriting came from my father's unique and stylish handwriting," and added, "I am honored to have achieved great results in my first participation in the Kyobo Handwriting Contest."

Work by Yuseonok, the grand prize winner. [Image provided by Kyobo Bookstore]

Another top prize winner, Yoo Sun-ok, said, "Writing each stroke and letter allowed me to clear all distractions and focus, making it an immersive time," and "It felt like an opportunity for self-discovery through a new challenge."

The judging panel applied three evaluation criteria: aesthetics, originality, and readability, selecting 10 top prize winners and 20 runner-up prize winners. This year, 14,739 people participated, marking the highest number of participants ever, with a wide age range from 3-year-old children to 93-year-old entrants.

Work by O Minseon, Grand Prize Winner.
[Image provided by Kyobo Bookstore]

The oldest top prize winner was 59-year-old Oh Min-seon. Oh said, "I am very happy to the extent that it can be called a family honor," and added, "As an educator teaching young children, I hope that at least the children who learn from me will grow up writing our Hangul correctly by hand."

The youngest top prize winners were 8-year-olds Yoo Ji-won and Song Yoo-ha. Yoo said, "I feel proud and happy. I still can't believe I received this award," while Song said, "It was enjoyable to write a part of my favorite book by hand. I thank the teachers at Lira Elementary School who taught me how to write in proper cursive," and added, "I will continue to write handwriting carefully with a kind heart."

Children Becoming Unfamiliar with Handwriting... Some Countries Promote De-digitalization

Work by Yoo Ji-won, Grand Prize Winner. [Image provided by Kyobo Bookstore]

Meanwhile, as children become accustomed to tablet PCs and smartphones, the number of children writing by hand on paper is decreasing, leading to a sharp increase in poor handwriting. Pediatric experts warn that excessive use of electronic devices may hinder the development of the muscles needed to hold a pencil properly.

Sally Payne, a pediatric specialist at the British Heart Foundation under the UK's National Health Service (NHS), pointed out in 2018, "Unlike 10 years ago, children are entering school without having developed hand muscles and dexterity," and added, "Children come to school with pencils, but they lack fundamental hand motor skills and cannot hold pencils properly."

She emphasized, "To grip and move a pencil, fine muscles (small muscles) in the fingers need to be trained," and "Children today need more opportunities to develop such fine motor skills."

[Image source=Pixabay]

Additionally, Karin Bishop of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) in the UK said, "It is undeniable that technology is changing the world and children are growing up," and added, "While there are many positive aspects to using electronic devices, there are also side effects from children being less physically active and using electronic devices more indoors."

In response to this situation, some countries are putting the brakes on digital device classes by emphasizing reading paper books and handwriting. This is due to concerns that digital device use may lead to a decline in students' basic academic skills, such as reading ability.

In Sweden, the previous policy mandating digital device use in kindergartens has been completely revoked. Additionally, countries such as Canada, the Netherlands, and Finland are reportedly promoting de-digitalization by designating 'cursive writing' classes as mandatory curriculum or restricting electronic device use during classes.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.