VANK is launching a global hashtag campaign to promote Arirang, one of Korea’s most representative intangible cultural heritages, and raise awareness of its historical roots in response to recent controversy over China’s account of the song’s origins.
The campaign, titled “Arirang from Korea,” begins October 17 in observance of the International Day of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Through the initiative, VANK aims to inform the international community that Arirang is a traditional Korean folk song that has been passed down through generations.
The campaign comes after an information board at an exhibition facility in Wudanjang, Heilongjiang Province, described the original form of Arirang as a song sung by migrants who crossed from the mainland to the Korean Peninsula after the Han Dynasty established the Four Han Commanderies. China had previously designated Arirang as a national-level intangible cultural heritage in 2011.
In response, VANK has adopted #ArirangfromKorea as its official campaign hashtag to highlight the song’s Korean origins and encourage people around the world to share its history and cultural significance.
The public participation campaign invites people to post digital posters and informational graphics on social media using the hashtag. VANK will begin with a poster depicting three people singing in succession as they cross Arirang Pass, followed by a series of posts introducing regional variations of the song, including those from Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Jindo and Miryang. Participants will be encouraged to listen to the different versions and share the one they know best.
VANK is also calling on its members around the world, overseas Koreans and people learning Korean abroad to take part and help spread awareness of Arirang internationally.
Alongside the social media campaign, the organization plans to seek corrections to inaccurate accounts of Arirang’s origins found in overseas encyclopedias, travel websites and generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
VANK Director Park Gi-tae said that simply protesting China’s portrayal of the song would not be enough to address the issue.
“The most powerful response is for each and every citizen to spread a broader and more accurate understanding of Arirang throughout the world,” he said.