POSCO DX holds YouTube contest for people with disabilities

'Dream in Green' reaches 8th edition with 2,040 cumulative entries; program covers video production training, competition and follow-on growth support

Winners of the POSCO DX YouTube Content Contest for People with Disabilities pose for a photo. [POSCO DX]

POSCO DX has held a YouTube contest to strengthen content-creation skills among people with disabilities and support their participation in society. Now in its eighth year, the competition drew 391 teams.

POSCO DX announced Wednesday that it held the awards ceremony for "Kkumeul Geurin(Green)da" (Dream in Green), its YouTube content contest for people with disabilities, on Tuesday at its Pangyo office.

Dream in Green is a corporate social responsibility project that provides people with disabilities with training in video planning, filming and editing, and supports their content creation and creative activities. Now in its eighth year, the program is run by POSCO DX using funds from the Posco 1% Sharing Foundation, with participation from the Korea Spinal Cord Injury Association, the Korea National Park Service and Woljeongsa Temple.

According to POSCO DX, a total of 2,040 entries have been submitted to the contest since 2019, and 1,335 participants have taken part in online and offline training sessions. This year, online video production training was offered to 390 people with disabilities from March through August.

The 391 teams competed across four categories — disability awareness, everyday safety, the environment, and generative AI content. Top entries received ministerial awards from the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy, as well as prizes from the POSCO DX president and the Korea National Park Service chairman.

A person with a disability receives career counseling from a specialist at a job-consultation booth held as a side event at the POSCO DX YouTube Content Contest for People with Disabilities. [POSCO DX]

Among the winners, Kim Seon-bong — a person with physical and brain lesion disabilities who started a YouTube channel at 58 — took the Ministry of Health and Welfare Minister's Award for "Dreams Are Faster Than Hands." "An Ordinary Day" received the Ministry of Science and ICT Minister's Award, "The Same Road, Different Times" won the Ministry of Interior and Safety Minister's Award, and "There Are No Superheroes to Save the Earth" claimed the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy Minister's Award. "If AI Had Existed" received the POSCO DX President's Award, while "A Tree's Dream" won the Korea National Park Service Chairman's Award.

The Korea Spinal Cord Injury Association operated a job-consultation booth for people with disabilities at the event. Side programs included a performance by Hanbit Arts Troupe, a professional ensemble of musicians with visual impairments; Dubai Chewy Cookie and Braille keyring-making workshops led by people with disabilities themselves; and an exhibition of artwork by people with developmental disabilities.

POSCO DX said it plans to continue supporting the content-creation capabilities of people with disabilities through the contest. The company added that it will sustain support for creative activities and social participation.

Eom Gi-yong, head of POSCO DX's management support division, said the program's purpose is "to help people with disabilities communicate actively with society and pursue their dreams through the medium of a YouTube channel." Eom added that the company will "continue to support people with disabilities so they can grow as creators by communicating through their own content."

young2@heraldcorp.com