On November 22, 2024, at 10 a.m., the Voluntary Agency Network of Korea (VANK) hosted a seminar in its conference room with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) to explore public-private global strategies for effectively promoting Korea and to share concrete activity plans.
The seminar served as a platform for VANK and MCST to refine strategies and action plans for accurately representing Korea worldwide. It began with presentations of collaborative initiatives by both organizations, followed by discussions on diverse ideas and approaches for global promotion.
This event marked a meaningful opportunity for VANK and MCST to establish ways to work together in showcasing Korea’s culture, history, and values internationally.
During the seminar, VANK researcher Kwon So-young introduced seven major upcoming initiatives, including the “Global Korea Ambassador Program,” “Policy Consultations on National Image with Youth,” support for the “K-info Hub” platform, the “PRKOREA Campaign,” and the “Global Korea Promotion Strategy Seminar.”
The “Global Korea Ambassador Program” is a joint initiative by VANK and MCST aimed at fostering global ambassadors who can accurately convey Korea’s history and culture worldwide. Kwon highlighted that despite the ongoing global popularity of Korean culture, distortions of Korea’s history and culture still appear in textbooks, encyclopedias, websites, social media, and generative AI content. To address these issues proactively, Korean youth will take the lead in promoting accurate information before foreign audiences encounter misinformation. This program focuses on equipping Korean youth to become global ambassadors for Korea.
The “Policy Consultations on National Image with Youth” initiative is based on VANK’s national culture, history, and diplomacy platform, “Woollim.” Through quarterly meetings, VANK and MCST will review policies and address errors related to Korea that arise domestically and internationally. This follows an incident revealed during a recent National Assembly audit, where Sejong Institute textbooks under MCST omitted references to Dokdo and the East Sea. VANK emphasized that preventive measures and prior consultation are necessary to avoid such errors in the future.
VANK has a history of successfully mobilizing public participation through “Woollim” to respond to historical distortions abroad. Examples include collaborating with the National Hangeul Museum to correct foreign history books misrepresenting Hangeul as Chinese characters, and partnering with the Korea Heritage Service to address misrepresentations of Korean culture related to Chinese intangible heritage.
Based on this experience, VANK stressed the importance of systematically reviewing policies and error cases in quarterly meetings, and of discussing solutions based on public-private collaboration. “This model will provide a critical foundation for accurately promoting Korea’s culture and history worldwide and preventing misinformation,” the organization said.
Other proposed initiatives include the “Generative AI Korea Error Response Campaign,” which will collaborate with major YouTubers, textbook publishers, and other partners to create digital materials that correct inaccuracies about Korea in AI-generated content. Ambassadors trained through VANK will use the K-info Hub to disseminate accurate information globally, developing it into a flagship public-private national promotion platform.
VANK also plans the “I Am an Ambassador!” campaign, recruiting foreigners with a deep interest in Korea’s history, culture, and heritage to create short-form content introducing Korea to the world.
The PRKOREA Campaign (Discover Korea) will further highlight Korea’s history and culture, raising public awareness so citizens can actively participate in sharing Korea correctly.
A recurring “Global Korea Promotion Strategy Seminar” is also planned to share practical strategies and foster a public-private cooperation model for promoting Korea internationally.
These activities are designed as systematic and practical strategies to accurately present Korea’s culture and history to the world.
Youth researchers presented various promotional policy ideas during the seminar, which were refined with feedback from MCST officials.
Youth Researcher Seong Hye-seung emphasized, “With Korea’s growing popularity among 200 million Hallyu fans, it is important to leverage Korea’s development experience to advance Hallyu as a global culture that can be jointly created and enjoyed.” She suggested campaigns connecting cultures with shared histories and affinities in Asia, South America, and Africa, such as “Korea’s Hanbok and Indonesia’s Batik” or “Independence Activists Who Fought Against Imperialism Together,” inviting Hallyu fans to reflect on cultural similarities and respect while promoting Korea. She noted that these campaigns align with MCST’s 2025 overseas promotion vision, “Korea, a Country of Culture Enjoyed with the World.”
Youth Researcher Koo Seung-hyun proposed the “Global Map of Korean Tourist Destinations” project, encouraging international tourists to add hidden tourist spots or cultural attractions to an interactive map. Before launching the map, participants would first create content reflecting their personal experiences in Korea. He stressed that modern Korean promotion must go beyond unilateral information delivery and center on foreign participation and creative contributions.
This project allows foreign visitors to actively participate in promoting Korea, with their content forming the foundation for the interactive map. The map would not only provide location information but also capture stories and experiences of foreigners in Korea. VANK’s existing foreign members and ambassadors can also contribute content, further enriching the project.
Youth Researcher Kim Ji-hye suggested a monthly “Cultural Heritage Spotlight” content series, introducing various Korean cultural heritage themes each month. She proposed producing background images for mobile and PC devices to make heritage accessible in daily life. For example, UNESCO-recognized Taekkyeon could be highlighted with themed wallpapers and slogans, spreading awareness of Korea’s valuable heritage.
VANK Director Park Ki-tae emphasized the seminar’s significance, saying, “This collaboration with MCST’s overseas promotion officers provides an important opportunity to elevate Korea’s cultural status and correct misinformation. The ideas presented will become strategies to communicate globally and unlock new possibilities for Korea’s promotion.”
Kim Jin-hee, head of MCST’s Overseas Promotion Planning Division, stated, “The diverse ideas proposed by VANK offer innovative strategies for involving both Koreans and foreigners in Korea promotion, expanding global outreach, and fostering public-private cooperation. These plans are expected to strengthen Korea’s cultural influence and ensure accurate information dissemination.”
VANK plans to hold regular seminars to further advance Korea’s global promotion, implementing the proposed ideas through its platforms. The organization said the seminar marks a key turning point in uniting public and government visions for Korea promotion and aims to expand Hallyu beyond popular culture to encompass Korea’s history and culture for a global audience of 200 million fans.