Community celebrates digital diplomacy vision
Event highlights Korea’s global citizen mission
A warm welcome reception for Gitae Park, head of the Cyber Diplomacy Organization VANK (Voluntary Agency Network of Korea), was held on October 22 at the Warehouse Buffet in Foster City. The event gathered prominent members of the Korean American community, including Jonathan H. Kim, president of the San Francisco & Bay Area Korea Center; Soon-ran Kim, chair of the Jim Duck & Kyung Sik Kim Foundation; Kyung-hee Lee, president of the Korean American Senior Society of San Francisco; Kyung-su Choi, president of the Silicon Valley Korean Senior Citizens Association; and Sang-suk Ahn, director of the Silicon Valley Korean Choir. Attendees warmly welcomed Park and the visiting VANK researchers.
Jonathan H. Kim remarked, “Director Park has opened the path for young Koreans to make their voices heard on the global stage. I hope his visit will inspire our local youth to grow into citizen diplomats who proudly share Korea’s history and identity.” Chair Soon-ran Kim added, “As Director Park noted, San Francisco holds deep roots in the Korean independence movement. I hope today’s gathering marks the beginning of a new chapter in public diplomacy.”
Beginning his remarks by saying, “After meeting President Jonathan Kim, I found a new dream,” Gitae Park spoke sincerely about VANK’s mission. “We are not official diplomats, but I believe our work often exceeds what diplomats can do,” he said. “Over 200,000 youth, college students, and young professionals around the world are promoting the true history and culture of Korea in their own ways.”
Recalling 20 years ago when many world maps and textbooks labeled Dokdo as Takeshima and the East Sea as the Sea of Japan, Park said, “At that time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Blue House told us to leave it to them, blocking civic participation—yet nothing changed. So our members personally wrote letters to National Geographic, and they eventually changed the labels. That moment taught us that diplomacy isn’t just the government’s job—it belongs to all citizens.”
He continued, “The Japanese government once said we should give up because 97 percent of world maps used the Sea of Japan. But we focused on the remaining 3 percent as our hope. Now, 20 years later, 40 percent of the world’s maps use East Sea instead.” Park added, “San Francisco was once the sacred ground of Korea’s independence movement, but now people only think of the Golden Gate Bridge or Google. I want VANK members around the world to once again remember this city as the heart of Korea’s independence.”
Accompanying Park were VANK researchers So-hyun Kwon and Seung-hyun Koo. Researcher Kwon noted, “For the past 20 years, VANK has corrected the labeling of Dokdo and the East Sea in textbooks and online materials, but now we face a new challenge—artificial intelligence. AI systems are distorting Korea’s history and culture, and to fix this, overseas Koreans must take the lead in spreading accurate information.” She added that she would discuss this issue in detail at the upcoming October 25 lecture.
Researcher Koo shared, “At an art museum, I once saw the East Sea labeled as the Sea of Japan. I immediately sent an email, and the next day, the museum replied that it would correct the mistake. Even small actions by young people can change the world. I look forward to sharing more of these examples during the lecture.”
The audience gave warm applause to Park and the researchers, expressing deep appreciation for VANK’s two decades of citizen diplomacy and dedication. Many participants emphasized that “the second and third generations of Korean Americans should inherit VANK’s spirit and grow with pride as global Koreans, supported by their local communities.”
Meanwhile, Gitae Park’s lecture will take place on Saturday, October 25 at 3 p.m. at the San Francisco & Bay Area Korea Center (745 Buchanan St., San Francisco). The event, titled “Digital Diplomacy and the Role of Overseas Koreans in the Global Era,” will explore how Korean youth and diaspora communities can shape the future of public diplomacy together.
Jonathan H. Kim remarked, “Director Park has opened the path for young Koreans to make their voices heard on the global stage. I hope his visit will inspire our local youth to grow into citizen diplomats who proudly share Korea’s history and identity.” Chair Soon-ran Kim added, “As Director Park noted, San Francisco holds deep roots in the Korean independence movement. I hope today’s gathering marks the beginning of a new chapter in public diplomacy.”
Beginning his remarks by saying, “After meeting President Jonathan Kim, I found a new dream,” Gitae Park spoke sincerely about VANK’s mission. “We are not official diplomats, but I believe our work often exceeds what diplomats can do,” he said. “Over 200,000 youth, college students, and young professionals around the world are promoting the true history and culture of Korea in their own ways.”
Recalling 20 years ago when many world maps and textbooks labeled Dokdo as Takeshima and the East Sea as the Sea of Japan, Park said, “At that time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Blue House told us to leave it to them, blocking civic participation—yet nothing changed. So our members personally wrote letters to National Geographic, and they eventually changed the labels. That moment taught us that diplomacy isn’t just the government’s job—it belongs to all citizens.”
He continued, “The Japanese government once said we should give up because 97 percent of world maps used the Sea of Japan. But we focused on the remaining 3 percent as our hope. Now, 20 years later, 40 percent of the world’s maps use East Sea instead.” Park added, “San Francisco was once the sacred ground of Korea’s independence movement, but now people only think of the Golden Gate Bridge or Google. I want VANK members around the world to once again remember this city as the heart of Korea’s independence.”
Accompanying Park were VANK researchers So-hyun Kwon and Seung-hyun Koo. Researcher Kwon noted, “For the past 20 years, VANK has corrected the labeling of Dokdo and the East Sea in textbooks and online materials, but now we face a new challenge—artificial intelligence. AI systems are distorting Korea’s history and culture, and to fix this, overseas Koreans must take the lead in spreading accurate information.” She added that she would discuss this issue in detail at the upcoming October 25 lecture.
Researcher Koo shared, “At an art museum, I once saw the East Sea labeled as the Sea of Japan. I immediately sent an email, and the next day, the museum replied that it would correct the mistake. Even small actions by young people can change the world. I look forward to sharing more of these examples during the lecture.”
The audience gave warm applause to Park and the researchers, expressing deep appreciation for VANK’s two decades of citizen diplomacy and dedication. Many participants emphasized that “the second and third generations of Korean Americans should inherit VANK’s spirit and grow with pride as global Koreans, supported by their local communities.”
Meanwhile, Gitae Park’s lecture will take place on Saturday, October 25 at 3 p.m. at the San Francisco & Bay Area Korea Center (745 Buchanan St., San Francisco). The event, titled “Digital Diplomacy and the Role of Overseas Koreans in the Global Era,” will explore how Korean youth and diaspora communities can shape the future of public diplomacy together.
Jeonghyun Choi / choi@baynewslab.com
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