On October 21, 2026, VANK announced the launch of a campaign proposing solidarity and cooperation with African Union (AU) member states and African diplomatic missions in Korea to promote the widespread use of “Equal Earth,” a world map that accurately reflects the actual size of the continent.
VANK will send letters of solidarity to the foreign ministries and relevant government agencies of the 55 AU member states, as well as to AU committees, and will also request cooperation from African diplomatic missions in Korea.
In its letter, VANK proposes the following: ▲ sharing the “Equal Earth” map files and educational materials; ▲ introducing Korean students and citizens to examples of how various countries have implemented the UN “Correct the Map” resolution; and ▲ launching joint online campaigns on occasions such as “Africa Day” (May 25).
It also requests that governments and diplomatic missions around the world send brief messages of solidarity and encouragement to Korean students and citizens who are promoting the Equal Earth world map.
Responses submitted via written messages, photos, and videos will be shared with the public in Korea through the VANK Equal Earth Map Sharing Platform (equalearth.one) and social media, with the consent of the respective organizations.
Last month, the United Nations General Assembly passed the “Correct the Map” resolution, recommending that governments, educational institutions, international organizations, and technology companies adopt the new Equal Earth maps, which accurately depict the land areas of each continent and feature relatively minimal distortion of their shapes.
Jeon Hye-rin, a youth researcher at VANK who planned this campaign, said, “The short messages sent by governments and embassies around the world will help Korean students realize that the small actions they take can lead to change in African nations and the international community.”
Park Gi-tae, Director of VANK, stated, “Through correcting inaccuracies about Korea in textbooks and maps around the world, VANK has learned that presenting a country and its people accurately as they are is the starting point for safeguarding their dignity.” He added, “We will join the changes beginning in Africa alongside Korean civil society and expand international solidarity so that global citizens can access more accurate world maps.”
Following the adoption of the UN resolution, VANK is actively promoting the “Equal Earth” map, which it produced in-house.
On the “Equal Earth” map sharing platform, VANK is distributing world maps in Korean and English, printable files, teacher’s guides, and classroom activity sheets free of charge. Since launching the distribution campaign last month, the number of downloads has exceeded 5,800 as of today (Oct. 21).