2026 CKS "Comfort Women" Creative Project Contest

Student Contest

"Taken Away" by Soon-duk Kim, courtesy of CARE

Through this creative project contest, CKS aims to educate the UCLA community on ongoing issues pertaining to "comfort women" from Korea, Taiwan, China, the Philippines, and elsewhere, who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese Imperial Army during the Pacific War.

We are pleased to announce the 2026 UCLA Center for Korean Studies "Comfort Women" Creative Project Contest!

In 2022, the Center for Korean Studies received a gift to create a permanent endowment to support creative projects by UCLA students and faculty, together with an online archive, research, and programming.

The contest is open to all UCLA undergraduate and graduate students who are enrolled in the 2026 Spring quarter. Each work must address the topic of "comfort women" in some way in literary (poetry, prose, or video of spoken word), visual (such as drawing, painting, print, textiles, sculpture, ceramics, photography, film, video of performance), or multi-media format.

We will have both undergraduate and graduate student divisions with separate first prize awards of $500 in each division. Second place ($300 Visa gift card) and third place ($150 Visa gift card) awards may be in either division.  Depending on the number of entries, we may increase the number of second and third prizes awarded. There will also be non-monetary prizes.

Students should read this brief fact sheet on "comfort women" to familiarize themselves with the topic:

Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus, Fact Sheet on Japanese Military "Comfort Women"

Submissions are due by 11:59 pm on Sunday, May 17, 2026.  The awards ceremony will be in late May.

Submit your entry on the submission portal and be sure to submit a completed and signed release form.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Jennifer Jung-Kim at jungkim@ucla.edu. 

Published: Friday, February 27, 2026