The Asia Society Korea Center held a launching ceremony for the Search and Correct Campaign in partnership with the Asia 21 Korea Chapter, Voluntary Agency Network of Korea, and Herald Media on Wednesday.

The Search and Correct Campaign (SCC) includes two projects ― the Korean-English translation correction project and the textbook correction project ― which are designed to improve communication between Korea and other countries.

The Korean-English translation correction project will tackle mistranslated or awkwardly written English on road signs, heritage sites, restaurant menus and guidebooks. The hosting organizations also plan to suggest to the government that English explanations be made available for locations and sites currently lacking translations. Anyone who spots a translation error can report it to www.askcorrect.com. 

The Search and Correct Campaign focuses on improving Korea’s image abroad and also aims to establish a more balanced and accurate perception of the world through the textbook correction project.

The textbook correction project will redress misinterpretation of information in Korean textbooks, especially about African and Islamic countries, that can result in a distorted view of world history and other cultures.

According to the Asia Society Korea Center, Korean textbooks do not offer enough explanation about Islamic and African nations and contain geographical and religious misinterpretation that can possibly lead to diplomatic conflicts.

The Asia Society Korea Center, established in April 2008, provides opportunities for interaction among Asia-Pacific countries and the United States about issues ranging from politics and economics to arts and education.

The Asia Society currently has 11 centers, including those in Hong Kong, India and New York. The Asia 21 is a junior board of the Asia Society, whose members includes scholars and leaders under 40.

By Jennifer Ryu, Intern reporter (ryu_jenn@hotmail.com)