On March 29 (Fri) at 2:00 p.m., the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister YU In Chon, MCST) held the launching ceremony for the 16th term of the “Friends of Korea” at the KOCIS Center, 10F of Korea Press Center.

The “Friends of Korea” are young supporters who find and correct errors in information about Korea delivered globally, including on foreign media websites, and are actively working to introduce Korea to the world appropriately. Composed mainly of young individuals from Korea and abroad who comprehend Korea and have excellent foreign language skills, they have been active since its first term in 2013, with 600 members so far. They uncovered and reported 11,323 falsehoods, including correcting misinformation in Spanish media H that misrepresented the Hanbok as a type of Kimono, submitting that it is, in fact, traditional Korean clothing. They have endeavored to promote Korea abroad through various cultural promotion initiatives, both online and offline.

A total of 70 members are selected, up from 50 previously, and supporters will now be chosen twice annually. Thirty-four people from nine different nations[1] comprise the 16th term members, who will remain active until July this year. As a result, the launching ceremony was held online and offline. Following the ceremony, supporters will promote “Facts: Korea” (www.factsaboutkorea.go.kr)[2], an error reporting center for Korean-related content abroad. They will also engage in substantial Korean promotional activities through social networking platforms. Individuals who are of both domestic and international origin are expected to participate in a variety of activities in different locations while employing necessary languages such as English, Chinese, Japanese, German, Indonesian, and Arabic.

YONG Ho Sung, Deputy Minister from the International Cultural Affairs and Public Relations Office at the MCST, stated, “There has been substantial growth in people who love Korea and Korean culture and want to learn more about Korea. We intend to proactively expose ourselves and the values we uphold to the international community through a broader range of channels and content networks. The activities of each Friends of Korea supporter will lay a solid foundation for enhancing South Korea’s status as a global partner."