A UNESCO literacy prize that is sponsored by the South Korean government has been awarded to Uruguay’s education ministry and an Afghan education project on the occasion of International Literacy Day which falls on Saturday.

South Korea’s Culture Ministry said Thursday this year’s UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize was awarded to the Uruguayan education ministry for its PAS program which offers young prisoners aged 20 to 35 literacy and vocational education and training.

Last year, eight-thousand out of nine-thousand-500 prisoners who took part in the program managed to complete the program, and nearly 70 percent of them were women.

Aid Afghanistan for Education also received the Sejong prize for its efforts in providing learning opportunities to some three-thousand marginalized women and girls since 2003.

Established in 1989 in honor of King Sejong of Joseon Dynasty who created the Korean alphabet "hangeul," the UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize gives special consideration to the development and use of mother-tongue literacy education and training.

This year's award ceremony will take place on Friday at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.