The 2026 Writing Competition (USA & Canada)
Deadline: February 28, 2026 (11:59pm CDT)
Categories
sijo competition
Mission
The Sejong Writing Competition aims to introduce young adults to Korean culture through literature and poetry.
Eligibility
This competition is open to all residents of the US and Canada regardless of ethnic background.
Sijo category
The sijo is a traditional three-line Korean poetic form organized technically and thematically by line and syllable count. Using the sijo form, write one poem in English on a topic of your choice. For examples of sijo, more information, and teaching materials – including teaching guides for sijo, please visit our website. *Only one entry per applicant is permitted. .
Adult division (age 19 & older)
Pre-college division (age 18 & younger)
The goal of our sijo category is to introduce students to a lesser-known style of poetry, the traditional Korean sijo. Read about how to write sijo, or see last year's winning entries.
Essay Category Discontinued — Introducing the Sejong International Book Club
Beginning in 2026, the Essay category of the Sejong Writing Competition has been discontinued, as we have fulfilled our original goal of promoting Korean literature translated into English to young readers in the U.S. and Canada.
In its place, we are launching the Sejong International Book Club, a new global program where distinguished professors of literature lead online discussions on English translations of Korean works. The Book Club welcomes participants from around the world who can communicate comfortably in English.
First Meeting: Thursday, November 13, 2025 · 7:00 PM (CT)
Format: ONliine via Zoom
Learn more and register
Guidelines
All entries must be written in English and only one sijo per applicant are permitted. A full list of guidelines and rules can be found on our website.
Submission Deadline: Feb 28, 2026 11:59pm CDT
Applications and entries must be submitted through our online submission system.
Regarding the application, we would like to remind students that they may edit their entries and applications until the competition deadline.
We would like to stress that all personal information is kept strictly confidential and no information is shared with parties outside of the Sejong Cultural Society. Please email any questions or concerns to sejongculturalsociety@gmail.com. We welcome and appreciate feedback of any kind.
Sponsors
The Sejong Cultural Society acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, DB Kim Jun Ki Foundation, Bisco Foundation, and Literature Translation Institute of Korea.
 |
 |
 |
 |