VANK, led by Director Park Gi-tae, said on Feb. 2, 2026, that a video from its “Setting the Record Straight on Africa” campaign posted on Instagram Reels surpassed 1.5 million views within three days.
The video includes episodes one and two of the series “Africa through the eyes of a VANK Overseas Intern.”
The first episode, featuring a Serbian intern, recorded about 740,000 views, while the second episode, featuring an Indonesian intern, drew around 770,000 views, bringing the combined total to more than 1.5 million.
In the videos, the two interns reflect on their experiences encountering negative images and stereotypes about Africa. They call for a reassessment of existing perceptions and propose viewing Africa from a new perspective.
Viewers in the comments highlighted Africa’s youthful population structure and vast potential. Some also expressed regret that perspectives shaped by colonial history continue to socially isolate Africa.
There were also comments noting that such distorted perceptions persist today, structurally limiting African societies and repeatedly placing them at a disadvantage in the international community.
Another video, titled “Kenya & Korea: Walking the Same Path, Moving Together,” has drawn attention for highlighting everyday life in Africa.
In the video, a young person in Korea walks through downtown Seoul while a young person in Kenya walks along modern city streets, shown side by side.
The linked walking scenes show that Africa is not a symbol of poverty or misfortune but a dynamic space changing and developing in the same time as the rest of the world.
Rather than comparing or evaluating Korea and Africa, the video shares natural scenes of daily life in an effort to ease vague resistance and prejudice among the public.
Kim Ye-rae, a youth researcher at VANK who planned the campaign, said the project was an opportunity to move away from outdated views that confine Africa to being an “object of aid” and to rediscover it as a partner with youthful energy and potential.
Park Gi-tae, director, said VANK will support Korea in taking a leading role in correcting distorted perceptions in the international community. He emphasized that the goal is to spread accurate history and culture worldwide based on mutual understanding and cooperation.
VANK plans to expand collaboration with local youth and global interns and continue producing story-driven digital content highlighting Africa’s diverse realities.