Voluntary Agency Network of Korea
 |
| Voluntary Agency Network of Korea | |
| Hangul | 반크 |
|---|---|
| Revised Romanization | Bankeu |
| McCune–Reischauer | Pank'ŭ |
VANK or Voluntary Agency Network of Korea is a non-governmental South Korean organization made up of 16,000 volunteers, including 1,000 youth members and 5,000 foreign members.[1] It was started in 1998 by Park Ki-tae and a group of 300 young people concerned about the "distorted" image non-Koreans had of Korea.[2] In particular, VANK criticises major online websites, including the CIA World Factbook, for posting "mistakes or inappropriate expressions" about Korea, including use of the name Liancourt Rocks instead of the preferred Korean name "Dokdo".[3]
In 2005, their successful efforts to convince Google Earth 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, some 2channel users tried Dos attack into VANK's website and destroyed several documents. [4]
In 2008, Korean DC Inside and other Internet users attempted to Dos attack to 2channel becouse Mao Asada in Japan won a come-from-behind victory against Kim Yu-Na by figure skating GP final. 2chneel user insisted that the attack origin is VANK and DC. And they tried retaliation Dos attacked DC Inside and VANK. VANK insist that VANK does not participate in attack. It is not clear whether VANK did Dos attack to 2channel.[5]
VANK is supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of South Korea, and the ministry announced it will continue to support a group of self-appointed “cyber diplomats” who seek to correct what they see as misrepresentations of Korea.[6] VANK had received help of the activity capital from the South Korea government from 2005 to 2007. [7]
Criticism
VANK's efforts to pressure various organizations to use Korean rather than Japanese names for individuals and geographic locations, though sometimes successful, have not necessarily earned them recognition of the correctness of their positions. For instance, 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 so annoying."[8]
References
- ^ Gim, Yun-deok (2007-02-26). "글로벌 지식 쌓고 영어 실력도 쑥쑥". The Chosun Ilbo. Retrieved 2007-10-06.
- ^ Shin, Dong-heun (2001-06-18). "VANK Acts as Nation's Internet PR Officer". The Chosun Ilbo. Retrieved 2007-10-06.
- ^ "CIA gets its Korea facts wrong". The Inquirer, London. 2006-12-13. Retrieved 2007-10-06.
- ^ "Korean Cyber Patriots Under Japanese Attack". The Chosun Ilbo. 2005-08-21. Retrieved 2007-10-06.
- ^ "日本のネットユーザー、VANKサイトを集中攻撃". Yahoo News(YONHAP NEWS). 2008-12-15. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
- ^ "Official Support for 'Cyber Diplomats' to Continue". The Chosun Ilbo. 2008-10-22. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
- ^ "반크 정부 지원예산 삭감에 네티즌 반발 거세". ASIA Today. 2008-10-21. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
- ^ Scofield, David (2003-12-23). "Northeast Asia's intra-mural mural wars". Asia Times. Retrieved 2007-10-06.