On December 20, 2022, VANK and the Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education signed an MOU at the education office in Namdong-gu, Incheon. This marks the first-ever partnership between VANK and a regional education office to train digital diplomats among Korean youth.
Under this agreement, the two organizations will launch various projects to equip students and teachers in Incheon’s elementary, middle, and high schools with the skills to promote Incheon’s history and culture—and Korea as a whole—through digital international exchanges. These initiatives will also foster global citizenship and encourage youth to engage in solving international issues.
Key areas of cooperation include:
✅ Training digital diplomats through educational programs
✅ Expanding digital Hallyu through social media campaigns
✅ Developing educational content for global citizenship education
Superintendent Do Seong-hoon emphasized, “This partnership with VANK is a significant step in allowing Incheon’s students to engage in global citizenship education and public diplomacy. We will actively support them in growing into leaders who contribute to global peace and cooperation while promoting Korea accurately to the world as cyber diplomats.”
VANK Director Park Ki-tae stated, “Just as Incheon serves as Korea’s gateway to the world, we will support its youth in becoming global representatives who actively introduce Incheon and Korea to the world through digital exchanges.”
For over 20 years, VANK has trained young Koreans as cyber diplomats and global ambassadors to promote Korea’s history and culture worldwide.
Incheon itself holds historical significance as Korea’s first port city to adopt Western influences and the starting point of the first overseas Korean migration 120 years ago. Today, Incheon International Airport serves as Korea’s main gateway, handling over 70.58 million international passengers annually, ranking 5th globally in transit volume as of 2019.
Through this initiative, VANK aims to empower Incheon’s youth to lead digital diplomacy, foster Asian peace, and contribute to solving global issues while promoting their city and country worldwide.