VANK has launched a global campaign calling on the United Nations and international organizations to abandon the use of the Mercator projection map, which distorts the size of continents and diminishes Africa’s global standing.
The campaign follows growing international concern after the African Union (AU) officially endorsed the “Correct the Map” initiative led by NGOs Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa in August 2025. VANK is the first Korean civic group to formally join the campaign, urging not only the Korean government but also the global community to take action.
VANK’s investigation revealed that distorted Mercator maps continue to appear widely on the websites and publications of international organizations, including UNESCO, UNICEF, and the African Development Bank (AfDB). UNESCO uses the Mercator projection for its “World Heritage Interactive Map” and other distributed materials, while UNICEF applies the same projection to all global overview maps on its data portal. AfDB’s “MapAfrica Interactive Map,” which visualizes GDP, poverty rates, and aid transparency across African nations, is also based on the Mercator projection.
Developed in 1569 by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator, the projection was originally intended for navigation. It projects the globe onto a cylinder, exaggerating the size of landmasses farther from the equator while shrinking those near it. As a result, Greenland appears similar in size to Africa, even though Africa is more than 14 times larger in reality and accounts for over 20 percent of the world’s landmass.
“This is not just a geographical error—it shapes and distorts how the world perceives Africa,” said Park Ki-tae, head of VANK. “A continent rich in resources, talent, and potential is unfairly framed as small and insignificant.”
Baek Si-eun, VANK youth researcher, added, “International organizations such as the UN, UNESCO, and UNICEF are committed to the values of peace, dignity, and equality. Yet by continuing to use distorted maps, they risk reproducing prejudice against Africa and undermining its global voice.”
The African Union and African states have urged the replacement of the Mercator projection with the Equal Earth map, developed in 2018, which is considered one of the most accurate depictions of the true size of continents and nations.
This is not VANK’s first effort to address Africa-related distortions. In June 2025, VANK identified biased portrayals of Africa in Korean textbooks and called on the Ministry of Education to revise them. More recently, VANK petitioned the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport to stop using the Mercator map.
VANK plans to expand its campaign by monitoring the continued use of Mercator maps by domestic and international institutions and pressing for change. To raise awareness globally, the organization has produced Korean and English digital posters and will promote the campaign through the international policy communication platform “WeForm.”
“Distorted maps downgrade Africa’s status and potential,” Park emphasized. “The world must now listen, and work together to ensure that international organizations stop reproducing outdated and biased views through maps.”