Complete the Application
Select “Download Application”
to get the competition application form.
Overview
- Entry Period
- ~
- Eligibility
-
Young adults and undergraduate or graduate students aged 19–39
※ Enter individually or as a team.
※ Teams may have up to 2 members. Submit under the name of one team representative.
※ International students and young foreign nationals may also enter, provided they reside in Korea.
- Entry Category
- Choose one of the four types below (indicate your chosen type when submitting).
- Mission Details
-
- Choose one of the humanitarian crisis types and missions below. Analyze the background and humanitarian needs of a real crisis, then propose an assistance idea and an implementation plan.
- Each type represents a broad crisis scenario. For a complex crisis, select one primary type; you may also incorporate risks and response measures from other types.
- The "Examples" provided below are illustrative cases for each type. You may submit an entry based on another real-world case that fits your chosen type.
| Type 1. | Type & Mission | [Acute · Conflict] Propose ways to deliver essential resources safely and effectively where civil war or war restricts humanitarian access. |
|---|---|---|
| Scenario | Fighting, blockades, or permit restrictions impede access for aid workers and supplies while urgent humanitarian needs grow rapidly. | |
| Examples | The Israel-Hamas armed conflict, the Russia-Ukraine war, the 2023 Sudanese civil war | |
| Type 2. | Type & Mission | [Acute · Natural Disasters & Public Health Emergencies] Propose priorities and an implementation plan for the most urgent assistance using limited initial resources immediately after a major natural disaster, such as an earthquake or flood. |
| Scenario | Large numbers of people are affected by the disaster within a short period, with simultaneous needs for drinking water, food, medical care, and temporary shelter, requiring rapid decisions and resource allocation. | |
| Examples | The 2025 Myanmar earthquake, the 2026 Nepal floods | |
| Type 3. | Type & Mission | [Protracted · Conflict] Prioritize essential services in situations of prolonged forced or internal displacement, and propose assistance that considers refugees, displaced people, and host communities. |
| Scenario | Prolonged conflict and violence create growing needs for food, health care, education, and livelihoods among refugees and displaced people, while funding declines and host communities face mounting pressures. | |
| Examples | The Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh, the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan | |
| Type 4. | Type & Mission | [Protracted · Climate & Food Crises] Propose assistance that considers emergency relief alongside livelihood support and efforts to strengthen resilience in situations where recurring climate shocks and natural disasters lead to prolonged humanitarian needs. |
| Scenario | Recurring climate shocks, such as droughts and floods, cause persistent food insecurity and deteriorating livelihoods. Short-term relief alone is insufficient; vulnerable groups also need support to build resilience. | |
| Examples | The 2026 drought and food crisis in Somalia |
Entry & Submission Guidelines
Submit Your Proposal
Submit your entry via Google Forms.
By 23:59 on Sunday, October 11, 2026 Submit via Google Forms (opens in a new window)※ For team entries, one representative must submit all documents together.
Proposal Format & Content
- Length
-
A presentation of no more than 15 pages
※ Includes the cover and final page.
※ Add references as a separate appendix of up to 2 pages at the end. These pages do not count toward the presentation limit.
- Format
-
Prepare an A4 landscape presentation and convert the final version to PDF for submission.
Submit a separate one-page summary with your application.
※ All participants must prepare their submission documents and mission proposals in Korean.
- Required Content
-
- An overview of the crisis
- Priority groups for assistance and the rationale for selecting them
- Specific assistance activities and delivery methods
- How crisis-affected people and local partners will participate
- Anticipated risks and mitigation measures
- Specific changes expected from the assistance, with indicators and methods to verify the results
- (Optional) Where relevant, ways to connect the emergency response with subsequent recovery, development, and peace activities
- Sources & Citations
-
- Use at least 3 reliable sources, including materials from international organizations, governments, or official humanitarian coordination mechanisms.
- Verify key facts and figures, such as the situation, affected groups, and scale of impact, against official sources.
- Cite sources for key facts and figures at the bottom of each slide or in footnotes.
- For each reference, include the organization / title / publication date (or reference date) / URL.
- If you use generative AI, state how it was used and how you verified the facts.
※ AI-generated responses themselves are not accepted as sources. - Fabricated sources, manipulated figures, or plagiarism may result in disqualification or withdrawal of an award.
※ For further details, see the entry guidelines included in the application form.
Judging & Awards
Judging Schedule
-
Sep 11–Oct 11
Entry period
-
Oct 15–30
Round 1: Document review
Round 2: Expert evaluation -
Weeks 1–2 of November
In-person final round to determine the rankings of the top three teams
and awards ceremony(Planned to take place at KOICA)
※ The detailed schedule may change due to organizational circumstances.
※ Award recipients will be interviewed. Details will be announced later.
Judging Criteria
-
Creativity
Does the proposal offer a fresh perspective on humanitarian assistance that addresses gaps in existing responses?
-
Feasibility
Does it present a realistic implementation plan that considers operational constraints and humanitarian principles?
-
Understanding
How well does it demonstrate and apply an understanding of the four humanitarian principles, international norms, and guidelines?
-
Sustainability
Does it consider lasting benefits, local partners’ roles, and exit and handover plans appropriate to the proposal’s objectives and duration?
-
Coherence
Does it use reliable evidence to analyze problems and needs, with a logical connection from assistance areas and priorities to implementation?
Awards
-
Grand Prize
1 individual or team
2MKRW
-
Excellence Award
1 individual or team
1MKRW
-
Merit Award
1 individual or team
500KKRW
※ Prize money and award plaques are awarded per team; certificates are awarded to each participant.
What Is Humanitarian Assistance?
Humanitarian assistance encompasses activities that protect the lives and fundamental rights of people facing crises caused by conflict, armed hostilities, natural disasters, or disease.
It includes emergency relief, disaster prevention, and strengthening response capacity, with the aim of helping people in affected countries return to their pre-disaster lives.
The Four Humanitarian Principles & Their Goals
Humanity
Protect lives
and uphold human dignity.Neutrality
Take no side in political,
religious, or other disputes.Impartiality
Prioritize those
in greatest need.Independence
Provide assistance independently
of political or other interests.
Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
A Guide to Humanitarian Resources & Data
Good ideas begin with an accurate understanding of the situation.
Use official sources to understand the scale of the crisis, affected groups, key needs, and ongoing responses.
Use at least 3 reliable sources in your proposal, including materials from
international organizations, governments, or official humanitarian coordination mechanisms.
OCHA ReliefWeb
Latest situation reports by country and crisis, and updates on international organizations and NGOs
(opens in a new window)Humanitarian Action
Humanitarian needs, response plans, funding requirements, and financial updates by country
(opens in a new window)ACAPS
Country-level analysis of crisis contexts, assistance needs, access constraints, and risks
(opens in a new window)Humanitarian
Public–Private Partnership Program
Implementation guidance and examples from KOICA’s humanitarian public–private partnership projects
(opens in a new window)UNHCR Operational Data Portal
Data on refugees and forced displacement
(opens in a new window)WHO Health Emergency Dashboard
Data on health emergencies addressed by WHO
(opens in a new window)IPC
Data on food security and nutrition
Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (opens in a new window)OCHA HDX
Open humanitarian data by country, organization, and topic
(opens in a new window)IFRC GO
Data on disasters, assistance needs, and emergency responses
(opens in a new window)Sphere Handbook
Humanitarian indicators and guidelines
(opens in a new window)Explore the Republic of Korea’s
Humanitarian Assistance Activities
Important Notes
- Participants must follow the competition’s entry procedures and submission requirements. Participants are responsible for any issues arising from a failure to familiarize themselves with the notices, rules, and regulations.
- Submitted proposals must be prepared by the participants themselves through their own research during the entry period. They must be free of legal issues, including copyright infringement. Participants bear full responsibility for any disputes.
- Judging scores will not be disclosed. The number or value of awards may change if submitted proposals do not meet the judging standards.
- The entry period and the date of the results announcement may change due to the organizer’s circumstances.
- Individuals and teams may submit multiple entries, but may receive only one award: the highest-ranking award for which they qualify.
- If plagiarism, false statements, or errors in submitted information are discovered after winners are announced, awards may be revoked and prize money reclaimed.
- Award recipients are responsible for all taxes and charges on prize money, which will be paid after tax deductions.
- Prize money and award plaques are awarded per team; certificates are awarded to each participant.
- Award recipients (authors) grant the organizer permission to reproduce and transmit their works and to create derivative works. They agree that the economic rights in the winning works, including the right to create derivative works, shall belong to the organizer, provided that appropriate compensation (certificates and prizes) is awarded.
* Right to create derivative works: The right to create and use an original work derived from an existing work through editing, modification, adaptation, video production, or other means.
** Other copyright matters shall follow the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s guidelines for creative work competitions.
- The organizer may produce videos based on winning works and use them for the Korea International Cooperation Agency’s (KOICA) public-interest outreach, including offline events (presentations of winning works, exhibitions, campaigns, etc.) and online promotion (YouTube, social media, etc.).
CONTACT US
Competition Secretariat
02-3456-2827
idea.4betterworld@gmail.com
Phone inquiries: 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
Lunch break: 12:00 PM–1:00 PM