VANK, a Korean cyber diplomacy organization headed by Park Gi-tae, and the Overseas Korean Newspaper, headed by Park Cheol-eui, are launching joint projects to empower the 7 million overseas Koreans to become active participants in Korea’s policymaking and legislative processes and foster them as active participants in public diplomacy promoting Korea around the world.
The two organizations signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to this effect on Sept. 14, 2026, at the VANK office in Bomun-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul.
Under the MOU, the organizations agreed to jointly pursue three major initiatives: the “7 Million AI Overseas Korean Lawmakers” project; a program to train “Global Overseas Korean AI Ambassadors for the Republic of Korea”; and “Finding Hidden Heroes of the Overseas Korean Community,” a digital archiving project.
The key focus of the partnership is to enable overseas Koreans around the world to directly propose and evaluate policies needed in their daily lives and local communities. The two organizations plan to gather voices from overseas Korean communities about issues that vary from country to country, including dual citizenship, identity verification and access to financial services overseas, taxation and military service, and identity education for younger generations, and connect these voices to policymaking and legislation.
As a first step, the organizations plan to gather opinions from overseas Koreans on the Overseas Koreans Agency’s 2027 budget proposal and publish the “2027 Overseas Korean Community Evaluation Report on the Budget” in November. They will analyze these views and convey them to the National Assembly. In December, they also plan to select outstanding legislative and policy proposals that would have a tangible impact on overseas Koreans and seek to hold a public hearing on policy proposals with the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee.
The second initiative is a program to train “Global Overseas Korean AI Ambassadors for the Republic of Korea” for next-generation Korean teenagers and young adults. Participants will go beyond learning about Korea’s history and culture by investigating inaccuracies about Korea found in overseas museums, textbooks and online platforms and requesting that they be corrected.
Participants who successfully complete the program will receive certificates of appointment, jointly issued by the heads of the two organizations, designating them as “Global Overseas Korean Ambassadors for the Republic of Korea” and “AI Diplomats for the Republic of Korea.” Examples of outstanding activities will be featured in the Overseas Korean Newspaper’s print and online editions.
The third initiative, “Finding Hidden Heroes of the Overseas Korean Community,” will document the lives and histories of overseas Koreans living around the world. The project will uncover and preserve the stories of little-known Koreans, from unsung Koreans involved in independence movements and migration to scientists, artists and cultural figures, as well as volunteers who have made contributions to their local communities.
To support the project, the Overseas Korean Newspaper and VANK platforms will operate a permanent “Report a Hidden Korean Hero Near Me” submission channel. Based on the materials submitted, the organizations will produce multilingual content, including infographic posts and videos.
The organizations also plan to build a “Digital Historical Marker Map” connecting historic sites related to the Korean diaspora around the world, including sugarcane plantations in Hawaii, henequen plantations in Mexico, Korean settlement sites in Cuba and Koryo-in settlements in Central Asia established after their forced relocation.
VANK and the Overseas Korean Newspaper will open the hidden hero submission channel in mid-September and begin recruiting the first cohort of “Global Overseas Korean AI Ambassadors for the Republic of Korea.” They plan to make overseas Korean participation in policymaking an ongoing process and, beginning in 2027, expand the digital map of overseas Korean history to communities around the world.