<2025.07.24>
VANK, the Cyber Diplomatic Organization, successfully pushed Vocabulary.com to revise discriminatory terms related to Africa, including “Third World” and “Hottentot,” on July 23. This marks the first tangible result of VANK’s “Correcting Misconceptions About Africa Project,” aimed at eliminating colonial and biased perspectives in dictionaries and encyclopedias.
VANK had analyzed over 20 English-language references—including Britannica, Wikipedia, and Collins—and sent correction requests to major publishers like Cambridge, Longman, and Merriam-Webster.
The “Third World” entry now includes the label “dated,” while “Hottentot” is marked as “offensive,” highlighting its derogatory and racist nature. Youth researcher Jeong In-sung stressed that such biased definitions can influence learners worldwide, and VANK will continue to request changes from other platforms.
VANK Director Park Ki-tae stated that this correction is a meaningful example of Korean youth influencing global dictionary platforms, helping dismantle prejudices and discrimination against Africa.