VANK: “Let’s use a real-area world map… Japanese publishers are also considering using Equal Earth.”

VANK (Director Park Ki-tae), a cyber diplomatic mission, announced on the 11th that it is launching a campaign to propose changing the world maps in domestic elementary, middle, and high school textbooks to the 'Equal Earth' projection, which accurately shows the actual area of ​​the continent.

This campaign began with the ‘Correct the Map’ resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on September 4th. This resolution, supported by 164 countries, including Korea, recommends using a world map that shows the actual area when comparing the size of countries and continents.

The commonly used Mercator projection map shows a larger area the further away you are from the equator. For this reason, many pointed out that Africa, whose actual area is about 14 times larger than Greenland, has the limitation of appearing to be similar in size to Greenland.

According to VANK, a Japanese publisher of social studies textbooks and atlases recently announced that it is considering including some of the Equalus projection world maps in its next revised atlases and textbooks, suggesting that there is a movement for change in the overseas publishing industry as well.

However, in Korea, there is still no official position from educational authorities or publishers regarding the projection of world maps in textbooks.

Accordingly, VANK plans to propose to the Ministry of Education and each textbook publisher: ▲ notation of the name of the projection method in the world map of the textbook ▲ use of a map that reflects the actual area on the area comparison page ▲ introduction and review of the Equal Earth projection method in the next revision ▲ guidance on free comparison maps for classes.

To this end, we have also begun an analysis of the use of world maps in elementary, middle, and high school textbooks.

However, Vank explained that this does not mean completely excluding the Mercator projection, which is useful for navigation and direction measurement.

The purpose is that at the textbook stage of first learning about the size of the continent, the mapping method should be specified, and when comparing sizes, a map that corresponds to the actual area should be presented.

Previously, VANK produced a Korean and English version of the Equal Earth world map with the East Sea and Dokdo correctly marked and distributed it for free through its website.

Last October, we proposed to 16 metropolitan and provincial offices of education and the Ministry of Education across the country to change the world map in classrooms to a map that shows the actual area. Among these, the Gyeongsangbuk-do Office of Education adopted a plan last month to guide VANK's class materials to schools in the field.

Director Park Ki-tae said, “The world that children first encounter is the map in the textbook. Correcting the map is not only about seeing Africa correctly, but also protecting the names of our seas and islands (such as the East Sea and Dokdo).”