Participants in the 2018 Quiz on Korea preliminary rounds in Indonesia answer yes-no questions |
On July 21, the Korean Cultural Center in Indonesia (KCC) hosted its Quiz on Korea 2018 preliminary rounds at the Ice Palace Lotte shopping mall in Jakarta. The Quiz on Korea is a live-audience game show that's a collaboration between the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the TV channel KBS World. The quiz tests contestants' general knowledge about Korea. Participants not only come from Jakarta, but other cities and provinces, too, such as West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta and East Java.
Firstly, I didn't know that I was chosen to participate in this contest because I had just written a short essay about things that I love about Korea. Previously, the KCC had opened registration for one week and provided an e-form so that the candidate could submit their essay. On July 17, I was contacted by the staff there saying that I had been selected to be in the preliminary rounds. They are very generous to reimburse me my transportation costs of around KRW 25'000, or USD $25, because I'm not a resident of Jakarta.
Together with a total of 98 other participants, we were asked questions about Korea, covering topics of cultural, historical, linguistic and lifestyle importance. The quiz was divided into four stages: yes-no questions, multiple choice questions, short-answer questions, and final questions. In the yes-no questions and multiple choice questions, the questions were both in Korean and in Bahasa Indonesia, so it was easier for participants to understand.
At this stage, many of the participants failed, but the KCC gave them an opportunity up to four times to re-enter the competition. I was one of the lucky ones who got a chance to get back into the game. When it came to the third stage -- short-answer questions -- the questions were really in Korean only and I failed to answer a question about some specific K-pop group because my Korean writing had a few mistakes. So I stepped out of line and kept supporting the other participants who were still going forward.
Finally, there were five winners in the contest: the first winner, the two second-place winners, and two third-place winners. Congratulations to Silvia Ulfa! She's a Korean literature major at the University of Indonesia and has now become the first-place winner. She was also chosen to be Indonesia's representative in the final rounds of the competition to be held in Korea. The final rounds will be aired on a special program on the TV channel KBS World during the Chuseok holiday in Korea.
For me, the Quiz on Korea 2018 Indonesia preliminary rounds were a real challenge to learn more and more about Korea. I saw many participants who had great talents. Meanwhile, I had a good time participating in this contest. I met new friends and had an unforgettable experience. Thank you for this precious opportunity.
my article also published in Korea.net
found the link here : http://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/HonoraryReporters/view?articleId=163748