On October 5, 2024, in celebration of World Korean Day, the Cyber Diplomacy Organization VANK hosted a seminar in Seoul addressing the future of overseas Koreans worldwide. Key attendees included Kim Han-il, President of the Korean American Association of the San Francisco Bay Area, and Sun-ran Kim, Chairwoman of the Jin Duck and Kyung Sik Kim Foundation.

During the seminar, VANK shared the success of their campaign, launched in April, to honor Lee Dae-wi, a Korean independence activist, as an honorary ambassador to the U.S. Over 6,200 Koreans in the United States supported the campaign. VANK also promoted the historical significance of other activists like Jeon Myeong-un and Jang In-hwan, as well as Korean independence sites in San Francisco.

In addition, the seminar highlighted the importance of voter participation in the upcoming U.S. presidential election on November 5, 2024. Despite 58% of Korean Americans being eligible voters, their turnout is currently low, impacting the community’s influence. VANK emphasized the need for active civic engagement to strengthen the Korean American community’s political and social presence in the U.S.

VANK Director Park Ki-tae vowed to continue projects promoting Korean history and culture globally while empowering the Korean diaspora to increase their influence in their respective countries through political participation.