Department of Music Therapy,

“2025 Unification Empathy Creative Song Contest”

- Submissions accepted until December 15^th (Mon), “Unification” themed original songs

The Department of Music Therapy is participating as a cooperating organization in the “One Sound, Singing Peace - Unification Empathy Creative Song Contest,” a creative song competition and Unification empathy concert project conducted as part of the 2025 Unification Future Preparation Project hosted by the Korean Society for Convergence Arts & Psychology. The submission deadline is December 15^th (Mon), and the contest theme is “Unification.”

The competition consists of four categories: ▲Logo Song ? Short-form video, within 30 seconds, ▲Professional ? Music majors or released artists, born before 2009, minimum length 2 minutes, ▲Amateur A ? Non-professionals born before 2009, minimum length 2 minutes, ▲Amateur B ? Participants born in or after 2010, minimum length 2 minutes. Required documents for all categories include an application form and a score of the original song (PDF file including lyrics). Professional and amateur categories must also submit an audio file, while the logo song category must submit a video file.

The judging panel includes composer Kim Hyung Seok, Jung Dong Hwan of MeloMance, Park Min Hye of Big Mama, Professor Choi Tae Wan (Department of Practical Music, Seokyeong University), and Professor Jang Woong Sang (Head of the Department of Practical Music, Seokyeong University). The judges will evaluate each entry based on theme relevance, creativity, musicality, and public appeal.

The total prize pool amounts to KRW 8 million. Awards include - Grand Prize (1 team, all categories combined): KRW 2 million; Excellence Awards (4 teams, 1 per category): KRW 1 million each; Merit Awards (2 teams, all categories combined): KRW 500,000 each; Special Award (1 team, all categories combined): KRW 500,000; Encouragement Awards (10 teams, all categories combined): Gift prizes worth KRW 50,000 each. All winning songs will be performed live at the Unification Empathy Concert scheduled for early next year. In addition, the Grand Prize and Excellence Award?winning songs will be produced as official audio recordings and videos.

Professor Yeo Jung Yoon, Head of the Department of Music Therapy, stated, “We hope many people will participate in this contest, which conveys the longing for unification,” and added, “We look forward to the enthusiastic support of talented individuals in music across the various categories.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Music Therapy at the university, the first undergraduate music therapy program in the metropolitan area, aims to nurture creative professionals who possess both therapeutic competence and strong character, and who will lead the expansion of music therapy in future society. The department provides top-tier education that meets the requirements for domestic and international music therapist certification, with the goal of training music therapists who can professionally support individuals in need of health-related assistance through music.

In addition, as a department that operates an educational program for Developmental Rehabilitation Services, it offers on-site music therapy practicums required for qualification recognition and certification. Students can earn a Bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy, and upon graduation are eligible for recognition as Developmental Rehabilitation Service Providers (Music Rehabilitation). The department is also the only music therapy program in Korea that operates a Healing Music Ministry curriculum, training healing music specialists for religious ministry and mission fields.

Graduates may work as music therapists in hospitals, private institutions, local government?run facilities, psychological counseling centers, welfare centers, senior care facilities, alternative schools, after-school programs and counseling rooms at elementary, middle, and high schools, private clinics, and religious institutions. They may also pursue graduate studies in Korea or abroad, or engage in related fields such as music therapy?related business operations, music production, performance planning, music teaching, and music instruction.