Daegu Youth Culture House's Lee Seunghyun Wins Elementary Grand Prize in "After-School Academy Essay Contest," Beating 669 Entrants

Daegu Happiness Promotion Institute President Yoon Young-ae announced on November 2 that Lee Seunghyun, a boy participating in the after-school academy at an affiliated Youth Culture House, had won the grand prize in the elementary division of the “2026 After-School Academy Activity Essay Contest.”

A total of 669 entries from across the country were submitted to the contest, organized by the Korea Youth Work Agency, making for fierce competition. Lee submitted an essay titled “That’s Why I Like It” and received the Minister of Gender Equality and Family Award, the top honor in the elementary division.

Lee Seunghyun, who won the grand prize in the elementary school division

“That’s Why I Like It” vividly describes how he overcame an unfamiliar environment through the academy’s attentive care and creative, interdisciplinary activities such as robotics and coding. The essay was praised for its candid portrayal of how he overcame his initial awkwardness and grew into a dependable older peer who looks after younger students and classmates.

“The teachers’ thoughtful guidance and my friends’ warm support gave me the courage to take another step toward my dream,” Lee said. “I hope my story will also offer a little hope and courage to many children across the country.”

The awards ceremony will be held on November 27 at the “2026 Youth Activity Promotion Program Joint Performance Sharing Event.” The winning entries are scheduled to be compiled and distributed in a collection of best practices from across the country.

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