The Korean government’s fifth batch of Global Monitoring Staff, tasked with taking on correctional activities both online and in print all around the world, is launched with an official starting ceremony at the Foreign Press Center in Seoul on Sept. 9.
An earnest group of international volunteers has launched into action to help correct and identify inaccurate information about Korea that can be found both online and in print, all around the world.
Out of 175 applicants from 25 countries, only 50 people from 17 countries — including the Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Malaysia, Mongolia, the U.S. and Vietnam — were selected to be part of the Korean government’s fifth team of Global Monitoring Staff. Through till the end of the year, members of the group will report and make right any inaccurate statement or error they see about Korea in a wide range of media material. Their activities will be shared at the Facts:Korea site (www.factsaboutkorea.go.kr), a website newly opened on Sept. 1 and run by the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS).
KOCIS first organized the global monitoring group in July 2013 so as to identify and correct any false statement about South Korea that might exist in any sort of media or content.
Sangharsh Soumein Satpathy from India (left), one of the 50 members of the Korean government’s Global Monitoring Staff, receives a certificate of appointment from KOCIS Director Kim Kabsoo during a launch ceremony on Sept. 9 in Seoul.
Calling the correctional tasks “such a valuable act,” one of the newly selected members of the monitoring team from India, Sangharsh Soumein Satpathy, said, “As Korea is a nation that is like a family to me, it would be really rewarding for me to find and correct any misinformation about the nation in content produced in my homeland.”
Tungalag Baatarchuluun from Mongolia said, “I wish we could have this type of monitoring group for Mongolia, too.”
At the launch ceremony, 19 individuals out of the 50, from Mongolia, India, New Zealand, were granted certificates of appointment and laid out their planned activities as members of the monitoring staff. They then had time to learn a bit of Korean history.
KOCIS Director Kim Kabsoo speaks during the launch ceremony for the fifth team of Global Monitoring Staff on Sept. 9.
“Hopefully, as you begin your important work as monitors, you will all serve as civil diplomats, digging out and correcting incorrect facts about Korea that might be mistranslated in content found outside of Korea,” said KOCIS Director Kim Kabsoo. “Our organization fully supports you in this effort.”
By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Jeon Han, Korea.net Photographer
jiae5853@korea.kr
