My first encounter with VANK was challenging.
It all started as I approached my graduation in February 2024, pondering how best to spend the next six months. I was already accepted to my dream graduate program in the UK, where I’d start my master’s studies in six months. So, I wanted to make this time meaningful.
During this planning phase, my family suggested I try a short-term internship. That’s when I found out about the “National Heritage Industry Internship Support Program.” We could choose up to four organizations, ranked by preference. I didn’t expect much due to the competitive selection process, but on February 22, I received my acceptance, and by March 4, I was officially starting work.
Out of nearly 100 participating organizations, I chose VANK. Although I hadn’t known much about VANK before, the idea of a “cyber diplomatic mission” resonated with me, given my interest in foreign policy and plans to study it further in grad school. I ranked VANK as my top choice, and fortunately, I was accepted for a six-month role.
Starting out, I was unfamiliar with VANK’s activities and mission, so I focused on learning about the organization’s past projects and vision.
March – Taking the First Steps
In March, my main responsibility was drafting petitions for VANK’s platforms, such as Woollim and Bridge Asia. I chose topics close to my interests in history, diplomacy, and culture. Petitioning may seem simple, but getting people interested and engaged through research and communication proved more challenging than expected. I wanted my topics to be original, so each one took careful planning.
Some of these petitions later evolved into campaigns that received a lot of support, which made me proud of the work. Bridge Asia petitions covered issues like climate crisis awareness, Taiwan, air pollution, marine pollution, drug prevention, the plight of Uyghurs, soil contamination, space debris, and aquaponics.
April – Growing Connections
April marked the start of more hands-on work. Inspired by a climate-related lecture I attended, I developed more climate crisis petitions for Bridge Asia. For Earth Day on April 22, we launched a campaign with infographics to encourage climate action.
Collaborating with fellow intern Kwon So Young, we initially planned a five-day posting schedule before Earth Day. However, we were advised to start earlier, which meant diving into extended campaign planning. It was my first experience creating campaign posters and coordinating with partners—my first taste of real-world project management.
Together, we made five infographics, and to my surprise, many people on Instagram responded by sharing their own climate-action activities. This gave me the motivation to continue. I also created my first infographic on VANK’s account, highlighting female lawmakers in the Provisional Government to commemorate its founding anniversary on April 11.
May – Embracing New Challenges
In May, I had the chance to attend meetings with organizations like the Korean National Diplomatic Committee, meeting people outside of VANK and broadening my perspective.
However, the main challenge of May was creating the “Korean Food Challenge” website. During an April meeting, I learned that this project would be assigned to me. Having shifted from a science track to humanities for college, I hadn’t touched coding since high school, so the task seemed daunting. But, with guidance from my colleague, I managed to get the site up and running, completing what turned out to be a rewarding project.
June – Honoring Heroes
In June, I partnered with fellow researcher Cho Suyen to launch a Memorial Month campaign inspired by the student volunteer corps. My grandfather had fought in the Korean War, which deepened my appreciation for this campaign.
We made three infographics, and the campaign received enthusiastic participation. Additionally, we created quizzes based on our content, which drew a lot of interest. Through this campaign, I felt a strong sense of gratitude and pride for the student volunteer corps and the broader legacy of independence activists.
July – Moving Forward
July saw the continuation of our climate project from Earth Day, now with a focus on a new website. Reading climate-related books and researching the field, our three-person team, fondly called the “climate trio,” started creating a climate ambassador site.
It was my second website in six months—a first for any VANK intern. Though challenging, this experience broadened my knowledge and pushed me to keep learning.
August – Farewells and New Beginnings
August was packed. I attended an MOU ceremony with the Gyeonggi Provincial Government on my birthday, making it an unforgettable day. I also gave a climate lecture at Yeongcheon Middle School, a first for me, and despite my nerves, the experience was rewarding.
My final task was completing VANK’s global climate ambassador campaign website, with new templates and artwork from an illustrator. Wrapping up this project on August 23 felt like a personal milestone. Though creating two websites was demanding, seeing them completed left me with a deep sense of accomplishment.
One last project was the Resistance Poet Project, which highlighted poets who resisted colonial rule through literature. This project, which coincided with National Liberation Day, gave me a renewed respect for these poets’ unwavering spirit and creativity.
We also launched the “Our Heritage, As Is” campaign, encouraging the world to embrace and use Korean cultural terms like “hanbok.” Working with my colleagues to create Instagram reels instead of static posts brought a new level of creativity to the campaign.
Reflection
My six months with VANK were simultaneously brief and transformative. I learned a lot about Korean history and diplomacy, and I had the chance to work on meaningful campaigns involving climate action and Korean cultural promotion. I’m grateful for this experience and plan to support VANK’s future initiatives to promote Korean history, culture, and territorial integrity on the global stage.
