The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation, a significant milestone in the nation’s history. To spread the truth about Korea’s history across the globe, Yonhap News Agency and the Cyber Diplomacy Organization “VANK” are hosting the 14th Korea National Brand Up Exhibition.
While the global K-Pop and drama phenomena continue to rise, there remain many inaccuracies in AI search results and digital content related to Korea’s history and culture.
This exhibition aims to reaffirm Korea’s identity by drawing inspiration from the spirit of independence fighters, helping the world better understand the true history of Korea.
Exhibition Overview:
Act 1: Presenting Korea’s True History and Culture
“We will correct the erroneous AI search results!” The misrepresentation of Korean culture, such as traditional hanbok, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Cheomseongdae, and kimchi, remains a pressing issue. Together with youth public diplomacy ambassadors, Yonhap News and VANK are launching a project to correct these inaccuracies and properly represent Korea.
Act 2: Korea’s Ambassadors Who Shone Amid Darkness During the Japanese Occupation
- Homer Hulbert – Educating the world on the truth of Korea through 324 writings
- The Hague Special Envoy – Advocating for Korea’s sovereignty
- Ahn Jung-geun – Fighting for peace in Asia as an independence activist
- Ju Si-gyeong – Preserving Korea’s spirit through Korean script research
- Shin Chae-ho – Instilling national pride through historical writings
- Ahn Chang-ho – Presenting a vision for a democratic republic
These independence activists were Korea’s first global ambassadors! Even during the harsh years of Japanese colonial rule, they worked tirelessly to introduce Korea to the world. They were not merely revolutionaries but true diplomats who represented Korea on the global stage.
Act 3: The Metaverse Exhibition of Korea: Promoting Korean History and Culture Beyond Time and Space
- Korean History and Hallyu Stars Exhibition
- Dokdo Exhibition
- Foreign Independence Activists Exhibition
- Teen Independence Fighters Exhibition
- VANK 20th Anniversary Exhibition
- Overseas Koreans Exhibition
- Global Climate Ambassador School Exhibition
- Jikji Exhibition
The exhibition will present a comprehensive Metaverse experience created by VANK, gathering all these diverse displays in one immersive space.
Act 4: Empowering Youth to Shape Policy and Pave the Future of Korea as a Cultural Powerhouse
Examples of Korean youth ambassadors’ efforts:
- Correcting errors about Dokdo and the East Sea in Harvard textbooks
- Updating East Sea references on the global marine information platform, ‘Marine Insight’
- Fixing inaccuracies about Jikji in the Britannica Encyclopedia
Through national policy proposal platforms like ‘Woollim’ and communication platforms like ‘Yeollim,’ Korean youth ambassadors actively participate in shaping policies related to history, culture, tourism, diplomacy, and education, working toward a brighter future for the nation.
Act 5: The Power of Korean Media Diplomacy: Yonhap News
Yonhap News provides news services in multiple languages: Korean | English | Chinese | Japanese | French | Spanish | Arabic
Working in partnership with 96 news agencies across 81 countries, Yonhap News spreads the latest updates from Korea to the world.
Act 6: Photo Zone – We Are the Digital Diplomats
“Complete the vision of the Korea the independence fighters dreamed of as your own.”
A photo zone commemorating the October 1919 Korean Provisional Government Cabinet photo, featuring figures such as Shin Ik-hee, Ahn Chang-ho, Hyeon Soon, Kim Cheol, Yoon Hyeon-jin, Choi Chang-sik, and Lee Chun-sook.
The 2025 National Brand-Up Exhibition is being held at the underground passageway of the National Museum of Korea from February 20 to February 25, 2025.