Zoning-Out Contest

On Monday, May 26 at 4:00 p.m., Incheon National University held its first-ever “Zoning-Out Contest” on the lawn in front of the university’s main administration building.

This student-driven event was organized by the university’s online PR student team as part of an initiative to create creative and unique promotional content. Out of 44 applicants, 25 students participated in the final competition, where they challenged themselves to maintain a blank e-x-p-r-e-s-s-i-o-n and zoning-out state while resisting various distractions.

Unexpected events unfolded throughout the contest — including a school anthem performance, a surprise recorder concert, and a cameo appearance by the university mascot Hwaetbul. These served as intentional distractions designed to test the participants’ concentration. Despite the challenges, the contestants remained motionless and e-x-p-r-e-s-s-i-o-nless, fully embodying this “sport of stillness.” The audience responded with astonishment and applause, offering enthusiastic support for the competitors.

Recipients of Awards at the Zoning-Out Contest

Jeong Gyeong-min (Department of Political Science and Diplomacy, Class of 2020) was awarded first place for maintaining an unwavering blank e-x-p-r-e-s-s-i-o-n throughout the competition, receiving a 300,000 KRW INU e-Card as a prize. Jeong shared, “I’m incredibly happy to have won first place thanks to my efforts to keep a completely neutral e-x-p-r-e-s-s-i-o-n,” and added, “I hope this kind of fun competition continues to be held every year.”

This event, which turned ordinary stillness into a form of “sport,” is being recognized as a student-led, creative initiative that contributed to a new campus culture. It is also anticipated to grow into a signature university brand event held regularly in the future.

Previously, Incheon National University launched a series of creative student engagement campaigns—starting with “Hwaetbbearo Day” on November 11, a playful take on Pepero Day featuring the university mascot Hwaetbul, followed by the “Christmas Where Dreams Come True” event in December. These initiatives garnered strong participation from the university community and significantly boosted the university’s public relations performance through its social media channels.