The Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy and the National Institute of Ecology announced Thursday they are accepting submissions for the 3rd Endangered Wildlife Botanical Illustration Contest of the Month.
The contest was established to raise public awareness and understanding of endangered wildlife and to promote the importance of biodiversity conservation.
Anyone residing in South Korea who is 15 or older — equivalent to a first-year high school student — is eligible to enter. Submissions will be accepted online through the contest's official website from Sept. 7 through 5 p.m. on Oct. 12.
Participants may submit multiple works, but prize eligibility is limited to one entry per person at the highest award level.
Entries must depict one of 249 designated endangered wild species and may be submitted in one of two categories: scientific illustration (original artwork) or digital illustration.
Works must reflect the ecological characteristics and habitat of the subject species and include both full-body and partial views as well as a scale bar.
Judging will proceed in three rounds: an initial assessment of accuracy and factual fidelity, a comprehensive expert evaluation worth 80 points, and a public online vote worth 20 points.
A total of 24 works will receive awards. The grand prize winner will receive the minister's award and a cash prize of 3 million won ($2,030). Two excellence awards carry 1.5 million won each, three merit awards 1 million won each, six encouragement awards 500,000 won each, and 12 honorable mentions 250,000 won each.
The winning works will be used in promotional materials and exhibitions for the "Endangered Wildlife of the Month" campaign in 2027.
Choi Seung-un, head of the National Institute of Ecology's Endangered Species Restoration Center, said he hopes the contest will give the public an accessible way to understand the characteristics of endangered wildlife and the need to protect them. "We will continue to expand public participation and raise awareness of endangered wildlife conservation," he added.
thlee@heraldcorp.com
