Africa in the world (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
SEOUL, Nov. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — A Korean civic organization campaigning to correct distorted world maps has received its first formal endorsement from an international body, marking a significant milestone in its effort to address long-standing misrepresentations of Africa’s size.
VANK, a digital diplomacy group, said on Nov. 20 that the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), an affiliate of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has issued a positive response to its request to replace Mercator-projection world maps on the agency’s website and in its reports.
In its reply, SESRIC called VANK’s recommendation a “valuable opinion” and confirmed that it had launched an internal review. It said it would consider short-term steps, including adding notices explaining the potential distortions caused by the Mercator projection, and evaluate the possibility of adopting alternative map projections — such as the “Equal Earth” model — in future updates.
It is the first time an international organization has formally responded to VANK’s Africa map-correction campaign with a commitment to review and potentially revise its materials.
A map of OIC member states from an SESRIC report under the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). (Captured from an SESRIC report)
OIC, the world’s second-largest intergovernmental organization after the United Nations, represents 57 Muslim-majority states, including 27 of Africa’s 54 countries. Nearly half of Africa’s population is Muslim, making the continent central to the OIC’s identity and its statistical work.
VANK’s review found that SESRIC’s main webpages — including those introducing member states, presenting regional statistics, and displaying various economic and social indicators — still relied heavily on Mercator-projection maps, which significantly shrink Africa relative to North America and Europe. The group argued that continued use of such maps undermines the continent’s global standing, especially given the large number of African members within the OIC.
In its response, SESRIC acknowledged the need for “fairer visual representation” of Africa and other member countries. The agency emphasized that it would assess how to incorporate VANK’s suggestion into its online statistical mapping tools.
VANK head Park Ki-tae said the move signals a “historic turning point” for Africa’s international representation. “Despite being one of the world’s largest continents, Africa has been systematically diminished on distorted maps for centuries,” he said. “For an international research body like SESRIC — whose data inform governments, global institutions, and the media — to consider updating its map standards is enormously significant.”
The Korean-language version of the “Equal Earth” world map produced by VANK. (Provided by VANK.)
Baek Si-eun, the youth researcher who led the campaign, stressed that the issue goes beyond solidarity with Africa. “Correcting the maps used by international organizations is about reexamining the standards through which we understand the world,” she said.
Encouraged by SESRIC’s response, VANK plans to intensify its global campaign to promote more accurate world maps and expand educational initiatives to Africa, ASEAN, South America and other regions where it believes fair representation is essential.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
