UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize

The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize ( German: UNESCO King Sejong Literacy prize ) is one of two international awards for literacy projects, which gives the UNESCO annually. The price (NGO 's) can be honored for their achievements in the field of literacy with the governments, governmental and non-governmental organizations, is endowed with a sum of U.S. $ 20,000 and will be awarded in each case with a silver medal and a certificate.

Namensentlehnung

The award was named after Sejong (1397-1450), the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. Sejong the Great, as he was in recognition of his performance also called, developed with some of his scholars Hangeul own Korean font, the Korean people had the opportunity to match the native language Hangul reading and writing to learn. He led the newly developed writing one in 1446 and placed it against considerable resistance of the Korean aristocracy and scholars that have been in use until then, the Chinese writing, by. Sejong is now considered an example of successful literacy of a people.

History

The prize was donated in 1989 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea and came in 1990 for the first time the award ceremony. In October 1997, the Hangeul, UNESCO - Hunminjeongeum the manuscript, including describes in its functioning, in the Memory of the World registers.

Since 2009, the Korean National Commission for UNESCO ( KNCU ) invites the annual winner of the prize for Hangeul week to South Korea. The award winners will be guided through a hard week program where they have the opportunity to learn in addition to historical places and the importance of introducing the Korean alphabet in terms of literacy in the country.

Past winners

Source: Korean National Commission for UNESCO