If you're reading this article, the Hallyu has probably already changed your life. You may be saving up for a trip to Korea so you can catch a glimpse of Lee Min Ho or Kim Soo Hyun. Or you may be learning Korean so you can sing along to the lyrics of your favorite JYJ song.
At the very least the Hallyu has changed your entertainment preferences.
The Korean Cultural Center in Washington, D.C. wants to know exactly what the Hallyu means to you and they've organized a contest to find out.
The Third Annual K-pop & K-Story Video Contest asks U.S. fans to submit a k-pop song cover video or compelling personal video journal about your experiences with the Hallyu.
One grand prizewinner will be selected to represent America and receive round trip airfare to Korea so that fan can compete in the K-Pop World Festival in October in. Other top prizes include autographed k-pop albums and LG electronics.
Participants can enter one or both categories.
For the K-Pop video, participants can share their k-pop dance or vocal skills any way they like.
For the K-Story video, participants can share their personal story of how they experienced the Hallyu or how it affected them. This includes k-pop, k-drama, k-movies or other forms of k-culture. Videos can take the form of a message to a Korean celebrity, a personal video diary, a short documentary or a tribute to a role model.
To submit an entry, follow these steps: create a self-made video, publish it on YouTube, 'Like' the Korean Cultural Center Washington D.C. Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/KoreaCultureDC), and post a link to the uploaded video in a comment on the KCC Facebook event page for the contest.
Use the following format to name your video when posting it on YouTube, replacing "Your Name" with your actual first and last name:
• K-Pop Video: "[KCC] Your Name K-Pop Video Contest"
• K-Story Video: "[KCC] Your Name K-Story Video Contest"
Videos must be original and made by the individual applicant or the applying team. Videos that have been selected in other events or contests are not eligible.
The entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges (60 percent) and on the number of YouTube video views for the entry (40 percent). In the interest of fairness, the judges will not be Korean. Awards will be announced separately for each category.
The contest is open to all U.S. residents with a few restrictions. To focus on the global spread of Hallyu, Korean citizens and those with two parents who are Korean or who speak Korean fluently will not be eligible. The deadline for submissions is July 15, 2014.
The Korean Cultural Center, which is dedicated to strengthening Korea-US ties, has described the contest as an online festival for U.S.-based k-culture fans. For more information, you can visit www.KoreaCultureDC.org. The results will be announced on July 30.
