VANK has launched an ambitious project to promote Korea’s history and culture to 7.5 million overseas Koreans across the globe.
This campaign targets Korean youth, next-generation leaders, and teachers of Korean schools worldwide, aiming to enhance their pride in Korea’s history, culture, and identity. VANK’s initiative also includes a special effort to appoint overseas Koreans as cultural ambassadors, showcasing Korea’s achievements in democracy and economic development to the world.
To further these goals, VANK signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korean Schools of Northern California (KSNC) on September 4, 2023. The KSNC, founded in 1991, is a coalition of Korean schools in Northern California, focusing on education in Korean language, history, and culture. The organization consists of around 60 schools, 300 teachers, and 3,800 Korean-American students.
The partnership between VANK and KSNC aims to foster Korean pride and identity among Korean-American youth and educators through an ambassador training program and collaborative efforts to enhance Korea’s image in the United States.
The key initiatives include:
1. joint development of the Global Korean Ambassador appointment program for teachers and the youth affiliated with KSNC
2. mutual cooperation to ensure accurate representation of Korea in U.S. textbooks, encyclopedias, and tourism publications
3. VANK providing promotional materials on Korean history and culture to schools within the KSNC network
4. KSNC assisting VANK by identifying inaccuracies about Korea in U.S. textbooks
5. launching campaigns to spread the knowledge of Korean history and culture across the U.S., leveraging the rising popularity of Hallyu
6. a campaign to boost sense of pride and identity in Korean-American youth in regards to their heritage
7. transforming 7.5 million overseas Koreans into active Korean cultural ambassadors
8. a global campaign to elevate the national brand and image of Korea among 170 million Hallyu fans worldwide
VANK’s partnership with KSNC marks a significant step toward increasing awareness of Korea’s cultural and historical contributions, empowering the next generation of overseas Koreans to take pride in their roots.