VANK

VANK
Hangul	반크
Revised Romanization	Bankeu
McCune–Reischauer	Pank'ŭ

VANK, an acronym for Voluntary Agency Network of Korea, is a non-governmental South Korean nationalist organization made up of 16,000 volunteers, including 1,000 youth members and 5,000 foreign members. According to its website, VANK consists of elementary, middle and high school students who "provide correct information about Korea to international textbook publishing companies and publishers". It was started in 1998 by Park Ki-tae and a group of 300 young students concerned about the "distorted" image non-Koreans had of Korea. It was originally founded as an international pen pal organization.

Activities

VANK describes themselves as cyber diplomats who want build up friendship with foreign friends by exchanging sincere letters and sharing dream and visions before promoting Korea. They share friendships with foreigners. Young Koreans are volunteering to share their sincere friendship via the internet with those interested in their nation. In addition, one of their goals is to emphasize fringe opinions on the superiority of Korea and Korean history, culture. Examples of campaigns they have conducted include spreading information about the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo, and about Jikji, the world's oldest extant book printed using movable metal type.

VANK insisting that the website rectify its "error" in using the name, such as the CIA World Factbook, for posting "mistakes or inappropriate expressions" about Korea, including using geographic names, Korean history. The head of the Voluntary Agency Network of Korea said the organization has corrected hundreds of mistaken statements by foreign governments about South Korea.

Attack by Japanese internet users

VANK is an often target of attack by Internet users in Japan. In 2002, Japanese internet users sent numerous large-capacity e-mail bombs to VANK members almost everyday. Japanese also sent numerous threatening e-mails to VANK members, such as "I will kill you," "Bombing at South Korea".

In 2005, Google Earth's decision to use the name "East Sea" instead of Sea of Japan in their online maps led to widespread news coverage in Japan, including a profile in the Asahi Shimbun. In response, a Japanese website posted guidelines on how to write an English-language letter of protest to Google, and how to attack VANK's website; they were quoted as stating, "We must fight against VANK ... We lost our sea, but this does not mean a defeat. This is only the beginning". Japanese visitors flooded VANK’s homepage, paralyzing the site. Though it is undergoing a checkup, some of the documents have been destroyed. The Chosun Ilbo also reported that an insulting graphic was also inserted onto their front page.

In 2008, after Mao Asada of Japan won a come-from-behind victory against Kim Yu-Na in a figure skating GP final, a Japanese Web site called 2ch, Japan's largest online community apparently helped some of its members target VANK online. VANK were forced to cut off all access to their website from outside of Korea as a result.

Japanese users often target VANK and their members by vandalism, hacking and a denial-of-service attack by Japanese internet activists.

Donation

The VANK is an independent non-governmental and private organisation. They state that they do not receive money from any organisation or corporation, and are run by donation only. However the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of South Korea also donates to VANK. VANK has received monetary support from the South Korean government; however, the amount has been decreased in recent years, from 80 million won in 2006 to 30 million won in 2008. VANK is not controlled by the Korean Government. VANK was originally an international pen pal organization but VANK’s mission no longer involves friendly exchange. Instead, its members scour Web sites for “errors” about Korea, then barrage violators with protest e-mails. For instance, VANK wages a continual campaign to change the name of the Sea of Japan to the East Sea. “We are aware that some people criticize us as nothing but nationalists who give one-sided facts to foreigners. But it is a misconception,” says Park Gi-Tae, VANK’s founder and director. Korea’s government encourages this cyber-vigilantism. The Korean Information Service (KOIS), the government’s public affairs branch, sponsors contests to hunt down foreign Web sites that have “incorrect” content about South Korea.

Criticism

An About.com spokesman, relating his company's decision to use the name "East Sea" to refer to the body of water, stated that they chose to use the name "not necessarily because it agreed with the South Korean geography activists but because the e-mail bombardment was annoying." It was reported in the Asia Times Online that they received as many as 20 e-mails per day regarding this issue from VANK.

External links

• Official Website of VANK