Who won at the contest?

Bae Se-hyun from Hong Kong and Enkhjin from Mongolia shared the top prize of 1 million won at the 28th World Foreign Language Korean Speaking Contest. Bae spoke about the "spicy" flavor of Korean dialects, while Enkhjin focused on the warmth of Korean people. Each contestant also received a certificate, and the grand prize winners took home 1.5 million won in total.

How was the contest organized?

The event was held on October 15, 2026 at Kyung Hee University's Crown Hall in Seoul's Dongdaemun-gu. According to organizers, 1,046 foreigners from 35 countries applied, and 16 contestants from 14 countries reached the final round. Contestants spoke under two themes: "Speaking my own K-OOO" and "The taste of Korean."

Who judged the speeches?

The panel included Kim Jung-seop, a professor emeritus of Korean literature at Kyung Hee University, and entertainers Jung Sae-mi and Ieva, who are known from the TV programs "Abnormal Summit" and "Korean Foreigner."

For international fans

The contest was first held in 1998 to commemorate the 600th anniversary of King Sejong the Great's birth, and this year marked its 28th edition. Organizers said the goal is to give foreigners a platform to share their own experiences in Korean.