30 November 2023. Seoul – The 2023 K-Wave Festival recently held the Talk Talk Korea Contest, an annual international competition organized by the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS), established to promote Korea’s national image and cultural heritage on a global stage. KOCIS is also an affiliate of the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

With this years’ theme "Unveil the Diversity of Korea", Talk Talk Korea received over 52,000 entries worldwide which were in the form of photographs, webtoons, essays, videos, and drawings which highlighted various aspects of Korea such as K-Culture, K-Music, K-Food, and K-Beauty. 

First Prize winners from the Philippines were Francis "Aya" Nacionales in the K-Culture category with her essay on the Korean culture in Subways and Amiel Giann Surla aka Sunshine Myung in the K-Music category for her Creative Conceptual Dance Cover.

Aya is presently working on her Masters degree in Medicine (Biomedical Science) at the Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul while Giann who virtually attended the awarding ceremonies is currently a student at the Clark College of Science and Technology in Pampanga, Philippines.

The contest ran from July 17 to September 17 and the awarding ceremony was held at the National Theatre of Korea last November 4, 2023 in Seoul. The Philippine Embassy in Korea congratulates Aya and Giann on their achievements. END

Photo: Winners of the 2023 K-Wave Festival - Talk Talk Korea contest.