The “Second Unification Quiz Contest of Loving My Country” was held on May 16 at Dailin Korea International School in the Dailin Economic Development Zone in Dailin, China.

Organized by the China Provincial Assembly (Vice-chairperson: Lee Hun-bok) and supervised by the Shenyang Municipal Chapter (Head of the Chapter: Kim Seong-ung) of China, the contest lasted for 3 hours. The first quiz contest was held last year in Shenyang, and students and Koreans living in the city showed great interest in it. The second contest held in Dailin, the second biggest city of Liaoning Province of China, attracted many of them.

At least 7 cities representing 3 northeast provinces of China ─ Shenyang, Dailin, Yanbian, Harbin, Changchun, Dandung, and Yungku ─ sent 153 students for the quiz contest; another quiz event on national unification was held for the elementary school kids. A total of 400 Koreans, students, teachers, and NUAC members in the areas attended the event and enjoyed the food in stalls set up in the auditorium where the quiz contests were held.

School principal Yang Mee-sook helped the organizers arrange the quiz contest successfully for the past couple of months. “Dailin is the place where the spirit of the anti-Japanese movement of Patriot Ahn Jung-keun and Shin Chae-ho and the essence of love of country are alive. Holding the Unification Quiz Contest here in Dailin can be a kind of living education for the young Koreans for them to have the vision and dream of a unified Korea,” he said during the opening ceremony.

The contest was held under the slogan of “Unification is Bonanza! Let’s Grow the Dream and Vision of National Unification.” In order to make the most of the opportunity to provide education on the unification history of Korea, the Shenyang Municipal Chapter of NUAC has distributed questions and answers ─ prepared by the Secretariat of NUAC for the Unification Quiz Contest ─ to 700 Korean students of middle and high schools in the 3 northeast provinces of China since last March 1. They were prepared based on 6 kinds of school textbooks of Korea and the White Paper on National Unification.

The students had a good opportunity to learn and study Korean history particularly the independence movement, division of the country, establishment of the Korean government, Korean War, course of developing democracy in Korea, and important parts of Korean history. In addition, they were able to learn the unification policy of the Korean government, history of exchange between South and North Korea, Korean Peninsula and international situation, nuclear and national defense, and real status of North Korea. The event made the students have a more positive and systematic view of national unification.

The Shenyang Municipal Chapter of NUAC expects to be closer to the local communities and Koreans through such unification business to spread public opinions on national unification and establish the view of history and unification based on harmony and trust. In particular, they expect the Unification Quiz Contest to serve as one of the regular events of the local community.

Jun Chang-yul, a 10th grader of Dailin Korea International School, was proclaimed the winner of the contest; Kim Jung-jin and Kim Hae-bin from the same school and Ahn Chan-ee from Shenyang International School followed him.

In addition to the quiz contest, the winners for the essay writing contest on national unification were also awarded. Kim Jung-eun of Shenyang Korean School was given the top prize among elementary school students, Park Hun-young of Dailin Korean School, among the middle school students, and Yun Ah-in of Yanbien Korean School, among the high school students.

Kim Seong-ung, Head of the Shenyang Municipal Chapter of NUAC, encouraged the students to have great pride and hope in the Republic of Korea and enhance their interest and will toward national unification.

The 2016 Unification Quiz Contest will be held in Shenyang; since the Dailin event was most successful, next year’s contest is expected to attract more support from the overseas Koreans living in the area.