On July 2, 2025, Cyber Diplomacy Organization VANK head Park Ki-tae held a meeting with Kim Hee-jung, a member of the National Assembly from the People Power Party representing Busan Yeonje District, at the Yeouido National Assembly Members’ Office Building to discuss “Improving Africa Coverage in Domestic Textbooks.”
Rep. Kim emphasized, “It is deeply concerning that young students perceive Africa only through fragmented textbook depictions. Such biases are not merely an educational issue—they can also hinder Korea’s efforts to build global partnerships.”
In response, VANK head Park stated, “Correcting Africa coverage in domestic textbooks goes beyond improving our own understanding; it can serve as a starting point for correcting misconceptions about Korea in Africa itself. Collaboration between the public and private sectors is essential to promote this value.”
VANK youth researcher Park Ji-eun, who conducted the textbook analysis, added, “Depicting Africa solely through images of ‘poverty’ and ‘aid’ directly shapes public perception. While diplomatic ties with Africa are expanding through Official Development Assistance (ODA), educational materials still reflect outdated biases. We hope the National Assembly will help bridge this gap.”
Rep. Kim agreed, suggesting, “Let’s hold a seminar with African ambassadors during the Korea-Africa Parliamentary Diplomacy Forum around August. Understanding Africa firsthand and incorporating their perspectives is essential to correct these misconceptions and distortions.”
During the meeting, VANK and Rep. Kim Hee-jung recognized the need to jointly address various textbook distortions rooted in colonialist perspectives. They also discussed potential campaigns and initiatives in cooperation with the National Assembly.
VANK has recently conducted a comprehensive review of Africa coverage in domestic elementary, middle, and high school textbooks, highlighting distortions and urging the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take notice. For instance, high school world history textbooks often depict Africa primarily as a source of slaves for Europe. Middle school social studies textbooks tend to dilute Africa’s diversity and complexity, while elementary school textbooks portray Africa primarily as a recipient of aid and charity.
VANK noted that the Korean government plans to provide over 1 trillion KRW annually in ODA to Africa starting this year, with the total support expected to reach approximately 100 billion USD (around 13.688 trillion KRW) by 2030. VANK emphasized that for these partnerships to be truly effective, the portrayal of Africa in domestic textbooks must first be corrected.
Park Ki-tae, head of VANK, concluded, “As a cultural powerhouse with 200 million Hallyu fans worldwide, Korea should take the lead in correcting misconceptions about Africa. We must view Africa not as a subject of pity or problems, but as a partner with immense potential and dynamism, capable of jointly addressing global challenges. True friendship begins not with one-sided aid, but with mutual respect and understanding.”