'Gangjin Cheongja Pottery Wheel Competition' to be held at Cheongja Village on the 25th

Major Participation of Wheel Master Level and Ceramic Skills Competition Medalists

The '2024 Gangjin Celadon Wheel Competition' will be held during the 52nd Gangjin Celadon Festival.

The Gangjin Celadon Wheel Competition will take place on the 25th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Air Dome Digital Museum Plaza within the Celadon Village.

A total of 86 participants, including general artists, ceramics major undergraduate and graduate students, and high school students, have qualified to compete.

As the birthplace of Goryeo celadon, it is expected to establish a foundation to inherit and develop Gangjin's ceramic culture and continuously nurture it as a representative local brand.

In particular, this competition is known to feature a large number of top-level potters from Yeoju, Icheon, and Gangjin, as well as medalists from the Ceramic Skills Competition, promising a higher level of competition than ever before.

Winners will be offered participation in practical training programs during the vacation period. Especially, those winners who wish to work at the Celadon Museum will be given special recruitment as fixed-term workers or additional points (contract period less than 1 to 2 years).

The awards include one Grand Prize winner (prize money of 2 million KRW, prize: inverter electric wheel, Jeollanam-do Governor's Award), two Excellence Awards (each with 1 million KRW, prize: small kiln, Gangjin County Governor's Award), two Merit Awards (each with 500,000 KRW, Gangjin County Council Chairman's Award), six Encouragement Awards (each with 300,000 KRW, Promotion Committee Chairman's Award), and six Special Awards (each with 200,000 KRW, Promotion Committee Chairman's Award).

At the awards ceremony, three one-year subscriptions provided by 'Monthly Ceramics' and ten sets of ceramic tools provided by 'Daewon Ceramics' will be given away through a raffle.

Professor Kim Kwang-gil (Mokwon University, former Seonam University), who planned and is managing the competition, said, "By hosting the nation's largest wheel-throwing competition, we aim to enhance the excellence of this ceramic culture hub and inspire pride among the participating ceramic artists."

Gangjin County Governor Gang Jin-won stated, "We will highlight the inheritance of Gangjin's ceramic culture and attempt to revitalize tourism and develop tourism resources through this, ensuring continuous nurturing as a representative local brand. We will strive to make unforgettable memories for everyone visiting the Gangjin Celadon Festival."

He added, "The special recruitment or additional points for fixed-term workers for winners wishing to work at the Celadon Museum is a proposal to encourage winners to settle in the region. We hope young artists will settle in Gangjin County and freely pursue their dreams."

Meanwhile, the Gangjin Celadon Festival will be held from the 23rd to March 3rd around the Goryeo Celadon Museum in Daegu-myeon, Gangjin County. Marking its 52nd edition, this year's festival, themed 'Come to Gangjin, Play with Celadon,' will feature 68 rich programs across 8 categories.

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