Korea Polytechnic University holds 18th Future Self Drawing Competition

Korea Polytechnic University is holding the 18th Future Self Drawing Competition, inviting children and young people to express their dreams and visions for the future through art.

The university announced Monday that the competition, hosted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and organized by Korea Polytechnic University, is now open for entries. Launched in 2009 to help children and youth explore career paths and envision their futures, the event has grown into one of the country's leading career-exploration programs, drawing more than 206,000 participants over its 17 previous editions.

The competition is open to children and youth under 18, including preschoolers, elementary, middle and high school students, and young people outside the formal school system. Participants are asked to depict their chosen future selves — the career or life they dream of — in any artistic style they choose. Each entrant may submit one work.

Submissions are accepted through July 17. Participants must first register on the competition website and then mail in their original artwork. Winners will be announced on the website on Aug. 26.

A total of 292 works will receive awards, with a combined purse of 19.1 million won (about $12,700). The 16 grand-prize winners will receive ministerial citations from the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, along with prize money of 500,000 won (about $333) each.

Selected top works will be displayed at a special exhibition during Vocational Skills Month in September. Outstanding entries will also have the opportunity to be submitted to the Korea-Germany Student Art Exchange.

"The dream a child puts into a single drawing is not mere imagination — it is the first step toward their own future," Korea Polytechnic University President Lee Cheol-su said. "For 18 years, more than 200,000 children and young people have discovered their potential through this competition. We hope even more students will share their dreams this year."