Yeongju City Announces Open Call for Candidates for the 7th Korea Seonbi Awards

"Our Era's Seonbi, Please Recommend by February 28"

Yeongju City in Gyeongbuk Province is publicly recruiting candidates for the '7th Republic of Korea Seonbi Award.'

The Republic of Korea Seonbi Award is presented based on the 'Yeongju City Republic of Korea Seonbi Award Ordinance' to individuals or organizations who have made remarkable contributions to promoting the noble cultural spirit of Seonbi inherited from ancestors and realizing Seonbi ideology.

Eligible nominees include individuals and organizations, including Korean nationals, overseas Koreans, and foreigners, who have contributed to expanding the foundation of Seonbi spirit. Nominators include government agencies, heads of local governments, presidents or deans of colleges and universities with two-year programs or higher, and representatives or heads of corporations and organizations.

Applications for candidates are accepted until February 28, and nominations can be submitted via official documents or mail with the required forms such as recommendation letters and consent forms. The nomination forms can be downloaded from the Notices and Announcements section on Yeongju City's official website.

The awardees will be finally selected in April through document screening, on-site inspection, and final evaluation conducted by the Republic of Korea Seonbi Award Steering Committee (Chairman Jeong Se-geun). The award ceremony is scheduled to take place during the Korean Seonbi Cultural Festival in May, where recipients will receive a plaque and a prize of 10 million KRW.

For inquiries regarding the nomination of candidates for the Republic of Korea Seonbi Award, please contact the Republic of Korea Seonbi Award Steering Committee (Yeongju City Seonbi Talent Development).

Chairman Jeong Se-geun stated, “We hope for active participation and interest from individuals and organizations who have promoted and contributed to the expansion of Seonbi spirit, which represents the spirit and values of Korea. The Seonbi spirit can offer solutions to various problems in modern society and is an important asset for creating a better future.”

Yeongju City is the hometown of An Hyang, who introduced Neo-Confucianism, and Jeong Do-jeon, who laid the foundation for the Joseon Dynasty, as well as the location of Sosu Seowon, Korea’s first royal Confucian academy, making it a city rich in traditional cultural heritage and known as the home of Seonbi.

The city is a genuine center of Seonbi spirit, leading a modern movement to practice Seonbi spirit based on the six practical virtues of An Ja Yuk Hun (安子六訓), the six teachings of Hoeheon An Hyang, the founder of Neo-Confucianism and the origin of Seonbi spirit, to inherit and develop the Seonbi spirit.

Past recipients of the Republic of Korea Seonbi Award include Jeong Beom-jin, former president of Sungkyunkwan University, Nammyunghak Research Institute, Lee Bae-yong, chairman of the Korean Seowon Integrated Preservation and Management Group, Yulgok Research Institute, Park Yak-hoe, and Shin Hae-jin, professor at Chonnam National University.

Yeongju City held the Daehanmiguk Seonbi Award Steering Committee on the 27th of last month. Photo by Yeongju City

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