Debate Korea Open, formerly known as Seoul Open, is a British Parliamentary-style international English debate competition and the largest debate competition in South Korea. In preparation for hosting the Korea WUDC 2021 (World Universities Debating Championship), the 2018 Seoul Open was a pilot event at KINTEX, the largest convention center in South Korea, and Sono Calm Goyang, a five-star hotel located within a 10-minute walk from the venue. Sponsors of the Debate Korea Open include AirAsia, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Ministry of Education, Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, National Pension Service, PLAN International, Red Bull, Korea Tourism Organization, Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, and Goyang CVB.

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Dan Lahav, the chief adjudicator for Korea WUDC 2021, and Seokho Yoon, the organizing committee chairman, served as co-chief adjudicators for the 2018 Seoul Open, while deputy chief adjudicators included Steph White, a deputy adjudicator for Capetown WUDC 2019, Kyungmi Lee, a WUDC ESL finalist, and Sajid Khandaker, an ABP champion. In addition, numerous prominent debaters, including Jasmine Ho, deputy chief adjudicator for Thailand WUDC 2020, and Sooyoung Park, deputy chief adjudicator for Korea WUDC 2021, have served as adjudicators for the subsequent Debate Korea Open in 2019.

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Over 100 teams from more than 20 countries participated in this international stage, sharing a common interest in 'debate.’ The 2017 and 2018 Debate Korea Open winners received travel vouchers to the Maldives sponsored by AirAsia, while the 2019 winners received travel vouchers to Malaysia. The Debate Korea Open will continue to provide a high-quality debate platform for participants from around the world and strive to solidify Korea and Seoul's identity on the international debate stage.

Please stay tuned for the upcoming Debate Korea Open!