The Cyber Diplomacy Organization VANK has launched a new educational website, “21st Century Ahn Yong-bok,” designed to counter Japan’s distortion of sovereignty over Dokdo and to empower Korean youth and overseas Koreans to grow into modern-day Ahn Yong-bok figures.
According to a report by The Yomiuri Shimbun on September 10, 2023, the Japanese government has allocated approximately 300 million yen (27 billion KRW) for the promotion of territorial claims over disputed areas, including Dokdo, the Senkaku Islands (known as Diaoyu Dao in China), and the southernmost four islands of the Kuril Islands. This budget will be used to conduct seminars for foreign audiences, refurbish territorial and sovereignty exhibition halls in Tokyo, and enhance external publicity activities.
The Japanese government also plans to regularly send emails to prominent international law professors to promote Japan’s claims over Dokdo and other territories. In its national exhibition halls, Japan continues to refer to Dokdo as “Takeshima”—the Japanese name for the island—and is promoting misleading videos that falsely claim, “Future generations will be able to visit.”
As Japan expands its distortion of Dokdo from middle and high school textbooks to national exhibition halls and international platforms, Korean youth and young adults must take on the mantle of modern-day Ahn Yong-bok, who protected Dokdo during the Joseon Dynasty, and actively respond to Japan’s global disinformation campaign.
To equip Korean youth and the global Korean diaspora with accurate knowledge about Dokdo, VANK has launched a comprehensive educational platform. The website provides:
- Basic information about Dokdo,
- Historical records of Dokdo,
- Recognition of Japan’s unilateral claims and their associated issues,
- Suggestions for youth activities to protect Dokdo in the future.
The site organizes key historical records of Dokdo by time period, ensuring students can systematically understand the island’s significance. It also offers access to original documents and images from sources in South Korea, Japan, the United States, and other countries, allowing students to cite official materials with accuracy.
In addition, VANK introduces various Dokdo-related resources, including other websites, content, and activities that students can utilize or participate in.
Website sections include:
- Introduction to Dokdo
- Dokdo in History
- Japan’s Claims: What’s the Issue?
- Creating a Future for Dokdo
Japan’s unilateral claims over Dokdo, an inherent part of Korean territory, are rooted in imperialist ambitions that have yet to be abandoned. These actions not only hinder the development of Korea-Japan relations but also damage Japan’s credibility in the international community.
VANK calls on the Japanese government to immediately retract its unjust territorial claims over Dokdo.
VANK is committed to promoting this website for use in schools, among youth, overseas Koreans, and Korean schools both domestically and abroad. The website will be continuously updated with new materials to support learning and advocacy.
Through this platform, VANK aims to help Korean youth and young adults move beyond emotional frustration and take practical action against Japan’s distorted claims. By responding to the spread of this misinformation in global textbooks, encyclopedias, and world maps, the next generation of Koreans will evolve into 21st-century Ahn Yong-bok figures who actively defend the sovereignty of Dokdo.