Artisans of traditional Korean paper craft from all over the country will have the opportunity to showcase their skills and passion to the fullest.

The Jeonju Cultural Foundation (CEO Choi Rak-gi) has finalized the guidelines for the '31st National Hanji Craft Competition' to promote the beauty and excellence of Hanji crafts, and has begun the official recruitment of entries.

The National Hanji Craft Competition is a nationwide event held annually in Jeonju, the home of millennium-old Hanji paper, and this year marks its 31st edition. This competition, which showcases a variety of Hanji craftworks blending tradition and modernity, has established itself as a prominent stage for leading Hanji craft artists to convey the depth and value of Hanji culture domestically and internationally.

This year's competition is divided into three categories: △Traditional category includes paper folding, paper cutting, paper dyeing, paper weaving, paper painting, fans, and scrolls, while △Modern category encompasses Hanji sculpture, clothing, paper dolls, paper art, paper mosaics, paper folding, and paintings. △The Cultural Products and Other category includes cultural products, Hanji crafts incorporating folk paintings, creative Hanji works, and applied Hanji works.

The scale of awards this year is the largest ever. A total of 26 awards will be presented, including 1 Grand Prize, 2 Best Awards, 3 Excellence Awards, 5 Encouragement Awards, and 15 Special Awards, with a total prize money of 35 million won.

In particular, this year, there are plans to increase the Grand Prize award amount to boost the enthusiasm of craft artists.

Participants can download the application form from the Jeonju Cultural Foundation website (jjcf.or.kr), fill it out, and submit their works in person along with the form from September 12 to 14 for three days.

The award-winning works will be exhibited at the Korea Traditional Culture Center exhibition hall for a month in October, and the award ceremony is scheduled to be held in conjunction with the opening ceremony of the Jeonju International Hanji Industry Fair.

Noh Young-hye, the head of the National Hanji Craft Competition organizing committee, expressed hopes that "this year's craft competition will be a platform for outstanding artisans from across the country to showcase their honed skills to the fullest," and stated, "We will make every effort in preparation to provide citizens with the opportunity to enjoy high-quality cultural experiences through the submission of excellent works."

Choi Rak-gi, CEO of the Jeonju Cultural Foundation, described the National Hanji Craft Competition as "a valuable cultural and artistic platform for transmitting the beauty of millennium-old Hanji to the present," and stated, "This year, we plan to further promote the true value of Hanji culture domestically and internationally in connection with the Jeonju International Hanji Industry Fair."