Seoul (VNA) – Three students of Vieꦐtnameseorigin were among the winners of the 12th Korea Multiculturaꦯl Youth Awards.

The awards, given by The Korea Times, are aimed atencouraging students from multicultural backgrounds, who at times experiencehardships due to cultural or language barriers. Park Hye-mi, a senior at Gwangju Dongshin Girls' MiddleSchool, won the special jury award. Born to a Korean father and a Vietnamese mother, she grew upa bright person despite her difficult surroundings. Although her parents gotdivorced when she was three years old, she has become an exemplary student praisedby teachers and loved by friends. Park Soo-bin, a senior at Wonil Middle School located inAnsan, Gyeonggi Province, was honoured as an outstanding student in the middle schoolcategory. Born to a Korean father and a Vietnamese mother, Park wasrecognised for her excellence in self-directed learning and demonstratesexceptional skills, especially in science. Nguyen Duc Toan, a student at Youngseok High Schoollocated in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, won a special award. Born to Vietnamese parents, Toan has outstanding languageskills, speaking fluent Vietnamese, Korean and English. He is playing with theSeoul Spartans U18 as the team’s No. 1 goalkeeper and has enrolled in the KoreaFootball Association this year. Seven students from other multicultural families were also honouredfor their personal talents and moral qualities. Lim Mi-eun, a teacher working for Sunil Middle School, andYou & Me Happiness Centre, which offers education and support formulticultural families, were picked in the volunteer category. The recipients were awarded with a plaque and prize money of1 million won, respectively./.