Young speakers tackle environmental issues at Songdo public speaking championship

The second annual Green Project Public Speaking Championship, sponsored by The Korea Times and organized by New Era Academy, was held Saturday and Sunday at the University of Utah Asia Campus in Songdo, Incheon.

The event drew 44 registered participants from across Korea, many of them competing before a judging panel for the first time.

Only 10 speakers advanced to the final round.

Aimed at speakers between the ages of 9 and 18, the tournament asked participants to present creative environmental solutions in TED-style talks across a five-round format that grew progressively more demanding.

In the first two rounds, contestants delivered prepared speeches based on their own research on environmental solutions.

In the third and fourth rounds, they were given topics on the spot and allowed four to five minutes to prepare before speaking.

In the final round, held before a panel of six judges, contestants had to speak immediately after receiving their topic, with no preparation time.

Bae Seo-jun, 13, won the junior category, and Sohn Ye-bin, 14, won the senior category; both attend Seoul Foreig ...