Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City to Host 2026 Busan AI English Retelling Competition to Foster Young Global Leaders

내용

Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, will host the 2026 Busan AI English Retelling Competition, a distinctive English-speaking competition combining artificial intelligence (AI) and retelling.

Retelling is an activity in which participants reconstruct what they have heard or seen in their own words and with their own ideas, and then explain it again.

The competition has been organized to increase elementary school students’ interest in English and foster young global leaders in Busan who possess an international outlook and strong English communication skills.

The competition is open to third- through sixth-grade elementary school students in Busan, including out-of-school youth. Following a practice period and two preliminary rounds, 10 finalists will compete in the final at the main auditorium of Busan Global Village on November 7.

The competition is divided into two categories: Elementary Division A for third- and fourth-grade students and Elementary Division B for fifth- and sixth-grade students.

During the practice period from September 15 to 30, not only students eligible to enter the competition but also first- and second-grade elementary school students in Busan may participate.

Following the first preliminary round, held online from October 7 to 15, and the second preliminary round, held in person from October 22 to 23, five students from each division, for a total of 10, will be selected for the final.

Participants will be evaluated on six criteria, including the organization, content and fluency of their presentations. All 10 finalists will receive certificates and award plaques.

The awards comprise two Grand Prizes presented by the Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City; four Excellence Awards, including two presented by the Superintendent of the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education and two by the Chairperson of the Busan Metropolitan Council; two Outstanding Awards presented by the President of Busan National University of Education; and two Encouragement Awards, one presented by the CEO of KNN and one by the CEO of Herald.

The first preliminary round will be evaluated entirely by AI. For the second preliminary round and the final, scores will be determined by combining AI evaluation at 50 percent with expert evaluation at 50 percent.

The AI diagnostic program used for evaluation is a system developed by the Korean English Reading Clinic at Busan National University of Education (ERCK) by adapting a standardized diagnostic tool used in U.S. elementary schools to the Korean educational environment. The system can comprehensively assess English reading and speaking proficiency.

On November 7, the day of the final, an English education lecture and hands-on activities will also be held alongside the English retelling presentations by the 10 finalists.

While the final is being judged, Professor Woo Gil-ju of Busan National University of Education will give a lecture on English teaching methods under the theme “Retelling: Awakening English Literacy.”

In addition, a hands-on promotional event for English Waves, Busan’s English education program for children, will be held as a related event at the English-specialized Deullak Nallak on the first floor of Busan Global Village.

Students wishing to participate in the competition can apply through the dedicated website at https://englishbusan.com. Applications for the first preliminary round will open on October 1. Both the practice sessions and the first preliminary round will be conducted online through the dedicated website.

To participate, students will read a given English passage for one minute, have 10 seconds to prepare their presentation, and then give a one-minute presentation in English that combines their understanding of the passage with their own thoughts.

For further information, visit the competition website or contact Busan Global Village at 051-980-8500.

Kim Gwi-ok, Director General of the Youth and Industry-Academia Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, said, “Now in its second year, we hope this competition will help students develop their creativity and expressive abilities, while also building confidence in English and a sense of achievement through the process of preparing for and participating in the competition.”