The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister YU In Chon, MCST) is recruiting the 17th cohort of “Friends of Korea”, which is a group of people actively seeking out and investigating inaccurate information about Korea through the “FACTS about KOREA” website[1] until July 17.

Launched in September 2016, “FACTS about KOREA” aims to correct inaccurate information[2] about Korea found abroad. The service operates in ten foreign languages globally and receives an average of 1,700 reports annually. As of June 2024, nearly 5,000 inaccuracies have been corrected.

Initially concentrating on historical controversies in Northeast Asia, such as Dokdo and the East Sea, through traditional media, such as newspapers, broadcasting, and publications, “FACTS about KOREA” has expanded its scope to include correcting mistranslations on platforms like Netflix and inaccurate information on Google. With Korea’s rising global platform and the digital transformation increasing information distribution channels, the sources of inaccurate information are diversifying.

The Ministry invites the general public to report inaccuracies and also selects and trains “Friends of Korea.” The 17th cohort will begin reporting and investigating inaccurate information in foreign news articles from mid-August after recruitment. This year, the program plans to increase the number of members living abroad to support citizen diplomacy that can promptly address local situations.

MCST has developed guidelines that include common inaccuracies and the rationale behind “FACTS about KOREA” to prevent the spread of misinformation. These guidelines will be distributed to global online video services (OTT) like “Netflix” and foreign media to reduce inaccuracies and enhance awareness of accurate information about Korea.