The Brushstrokes of Yasong Return to Cheongsong After the Wildfire

Nationality Restrictions Lifted, Grand Prize for Calligraphy Introduced
Cheongsong Yasong Art Competition Expands to a National Call for Entries

Cheongsong County in North Gyeongsang Province is once again holding the national art competition, the "Cheongsong Yasong Art Competition," to honor the artistic spirit of the late master of Korean painting, Yasong Lee Wonjwa, who hailed from the region.

This marks the competition's return a year after it was canceled due to the aftermath of a large wildfire last year. For 2026, the competition has broadened its scope by lifting nationality restrictions, expanding the awards, and introducing a new grand prize in the calligraphy category.

Cheongsong County and the Cheongsong Art Association announced that submissions for the "6th Cheongsong Yasong Art Competition 2026" will be accepted until August 27.

Cheongsong County, the 6th Cheongsong Yasong Art Competition Call for Entries
Photo by Cheongsong County

The Cheongsong Yasong Art Competition is a cultural and artistic contest established to inherit the artistic world and spirit of Yasong Lee Wonjwa, a Korean painter from Cheongsong.

Although it began as a local event, the competition is now regarded as a nationwide art contest, with both the range of participants and the quality of entries rising each year.

This year's competition finalized its detailed schedule and submission guidelines through an operations committee in April, with a focus on expanding the base of creators and encouraging international participation.

The biggest change is the eligibility criteria for entry.

The previous rule, which limited entry to Korean nationals aged 18 or older, has been abolished; from this year, anyone aged 18 or older, regardless of nationality, is eligible to participate.

Each entrant may submit up to two works.

The competition is divided into two categories: art and calligraphy.

The art category includes Korean painting, creative folk painting (Minhwa), Western painting, watercolor, and pen drawing, while the calligraphy category accepts works in Hangul, classical Chinese, literati painting, and calligraphy art.

The scale of awards has also been expanded.

The grand prize winner in the art category will receive a prize of 5 million won, and the grand prize winner in the calligraphy category will receive a prize of 3 million won.

In addition, there will be top prizes, excellence awards, special awards, and honorable mentions to encourage creative activities across various genres.

The submitted works will undergo first and second rounds of judging in August and September, with the final winners selected thereafter. The winning works will be exhibited at the Cheongsong Yasong Art Museum for about a month in October.

A Cheongsong County official said, "As the Cheongsong Yasong Art Competition, which could not be held last year due to the wildfire, resumes, interest among cultural and artistic communities continues to grow. In particular, with the introduction of the grand prize in the calligraphy category this year, we expect an even broader participation from artists."

He added, "We will continue to enhance the competitiveness of the Cheongsong Yasong Art Competition so that it can grow into a representative cultural and artistic contest for all of Korea, beyond just the local region."

Local cultural and art circles view this year's competition as more than just an open call for entries; it is expected to serve as a symbol of cultural recovery and the revitalization of the local arts ecosystem following the wildfire damage.

There is also an outlook that Cheongsong's brand value will be further strengthened as a cultural platform combining the identity of a local cultural city and its artistic assets.

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