Politics · South Korea · 2 hrs ago
Campaign seeks honorary foreign minister title for independence activist Seo Jae-pil
VANK, a South Korean group that promotes public diplomacy, has launched a campaign to name Seo Jae-pil an honorary foreign minister for life.
Seo was an independence activist who worked to make Korea’s case known internationally more than a century ago.
He founded the Independence Newspaper in 1896 and helped establish the Independence Club.
After Japan took control of Korea, he led a Korean independence gathering in Philadelphia in 1919 and organized a group to explain Korea’s cause to US society.
VANK says it wants to highlight his example for the roughly 2.8 million Koreans living in North America, whom it hopes will act as informal links between their home and adopted countries.
The group has posted the proposal on its policy platforms and is collecting public support.
It plans to send the views it gathers to South Korea’s foreign ministry and other relevant government agencies.
VANK has launched a campaign to appoint independence activist Seo Jae-pil as South Korea’s “eternal honorary foreign minister.”
The group aims to highlight Seo’s role in connecting Korea with the world and encourage Korean communities in North America to act as civilian diplomats.
VANK plans to gather public support through policy platforms and send the proposal to the foreign ministry and other relevant government departments.
The campaign also includes a promotional video and digital posters in Korean and English.
- Who
- VANK, a cyber diplomatic organization led by Park Ki-tae, launched the campaign.
- What
- It seeks to appoint independence activist Seo Jae-pil as South Korea’s “eternal honorary foreign minister.
- When
- VANK announced the campaign on October 13, 2026.
- Where
- The campaign is being promoted online and is aimed in part at Korean communities in North America.
- Why
- VANK wants to highlight Seo’s work connecting Korea with the world and encourage overseas Koreans to serve as civilian diplomats.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Seo founded the newspaper Dongnip Sinmun and established the Independence Club.
Seo led the First Korean Congress in Philadelphia and organized the Korean Friendship Society to promote the cause of independence in the United States.
Seo and representatives of the Provisional Government of Korea promoted Korea’s independence to delegates and foreign journalists at the Washington Naval Conference.
VANK announced its campaign to appoint Seo as South Korea’s “eternal honorary foreign minister.
- Campaign organizer
- VANK, led by Park Ki-tae
- Proposed title
- South Korea’s “eternal honorary foreign minister
- North American Korean community
- About 2.8 million people, including about 2.56 million in the United States
- Campaign platforms
- VANK’s Woollim policy platform and AI Legislative Council
- Public materials
- Promotional video and digital posters in Korean and English
What people are saying
Seo was not a career diplomat, but he was South Korea’s first civilian diplomat, connecting his homeland with the world and promoting independence and freedom throughout his life.
He is the root of citizen diplomacy that South Korean diplomacy today should remember.
Sources
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