We Make Korea! “A Story of Us and Our Country”

We Make Korea!
“A Story of Us and Our Country”

The Burj Khalifa in Dubai
The Tallest Building in the World

Many countries compete to defeat the world’s best.

Changsha, China
Planning to build the world’s tallest building

The Burj Mubarak al-Kabir in Kuwait
Expected to become the world’s first building to reach over 1000m when completed in 2016

The Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia
Planning to break the record

Fierce competition to claim the title of the world’s tallest skyscraper

The world’s best!
For this title, buildings are getting taller and taller.

Some foreigners may ask us:
“Does Korea have the world’s tallest building or the biggest shopping mall?”

Koreans would answer:
“We don’t have the world’s tallest skyscraper, but we do have something better.”

There are important global issues that demand our attention, such as poverty, conflict, and economic crisis.

We have a “solution” to those critical problems.

Our solution!
It is “a story of us” that shows hope to the world.

A story: an account of events
It also has another meaning:
A floor of a building

With our unique stories, we are going beyond the world’s best or first.

Step by step, we will build stories of hope in the minds of people in the world!

A Story of Korea:
Encouragement for the World  
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Our Story of Overcoming Poverty:
Encouragement for Africa
Africa,
The poorest continent in the world

Among the continent’s total population of 700 million, over 200 million people are suffering from famine.

Due to poverty, many young Africans have lost hope for their future.

Young Koreans want to share our solution with Africans:
Our story of hope 

Korea,
A country that transformed from a beneficiary to an aid donor

About 60 years ago, Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world.

Korea was even poorer than Ethiopia.

Due to a lack of capital and technology, Korea had to rely on international aid to build its infrastructure.

However, Korea has now become one of the world’s top 10 economic powers. 

Such an economic miracle was made possible by its people’s united efforts. 

This success story gives hope to African countries.

Many young Africans are suffering from poverty.

We want to give them hope and encouragement for a better future. 

Our Story of Overcoming Economic Challenges:
Encouragement for Europe 

The Rise of the European Sovereign Debt Crisis in 2010
The Greek government asked for bailout loans from the EU and the IMF.

Starting in Greece, the economic crisis is spreading to Spain, France and Italy.

Like a domino effect, a growing economic crisis is looming all over the European continent.

In this turbulent economic time, young Koreans want to share our solution with Europeans:
Our story of hope 

In 1997, Korea received loans from the IMF to tackle its financial crisis.

The year of 1997 was a time of serious economic crisis in Asia.

Starting in Thailand and Indonesia, the economic crisis rapidly spread to Korea.

Many Korean companies faced critical challenges or even bankruptcy.

Many Korean people lost their jobs and fell into despair.

However, Koreans did not give up hope and soon sprang back.

They voluntarily started “a gold collection campaign” to overcome the national challenge.

Koreans did not let a challenge discourage and defeat them.

Korea came out of the economic crisis at an impressive speed.
The world called it a miracle.

We want to be the proof of hope for European countries in despair.
 
Don’t let the challenge defeat you.
Then, you will be back even stronger.

Our Story of Achieving a Democracy:
Encouragement for the Middle East

The biggest global issue of 2011:
“The Arab Spring”
A series of protest movements seeking democracy spread throughout the Arab nations.

Many Arabs are now fed up with dictatorship and poverty.

They have taken action to gain freedom and democracy.

They gathered together with a longing for freedom.

Young Koreans want to share our solution with Arabs.
Our story of hope 

The May 18 Democratization Movement in Korea

On May 18, 1980, Korean citizens took to the streets to protest against the military takeover of the government.

Many Koreans risked and lost their lives for freedom and democracy.

It was ordinary Korean people who fought against dictatorship and led Korea to democracy.

Without their sacrifice, Korea’s democracy might still have been a faraway dream.

Today, many young Arabs are struggling to achieve freedom and a better future.

We hope our story will inspire democratic change and empower young Arabs.

Our Story of Making Peace
Encouragement for Asia

An emerging blue chip in the world marketplace:
The Asian Continent

However, there is a roadblock to achieving Asia’s peaceful development:
Territorial disputes

A territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands or Diaoyu Islands between Japan and China
A territorial dispute over the Southern Kuril Islands between Japan and Russia

Peace in Asia is constantly on the verge of crisis.

Young Koreans want to share our solution with other Asians.
Our story of pursuing peaceful paths

“Young Koreans’ efforts to handle Japan’s territorial claim over Dokdo”

In 1910, Dokdo became the first Korean territory that was affected by Japanese imperialism.

Young Koreans are attempting to prevent the revival of Japanese Imperialism. 

This is one of the most important reasons why we are committed to promoting Dokdo.

A serious consequence awaits us if Dokdo is recognized as a Japanese territory. 
 
Korea’s beautiful island of Dokdo will disappear from world maps.

Instead, there will be a symbol of the Japanese imperialism that threatens peace in Asia.

Our goal is to put an end to the history of imperialism where powerful countries dominated others.

We want to build sustainable peace in Asia.

This is why we are promoting our story of our peacemaking efforts.

Young Koreans have wisdom and passion for achieving their goals.

Many Asian countries are still living with the legacy and remnants of imperialism.

The Asian continent has been plagued with territorial disputes and conflict.

We hope our story will inspire Asian countries to live a peaceful coexistence.

Our Story of Uniting for a National Crisis
Encouragement for the World

We want to share our story of uniting to overcome a national crisis with people in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

We hope our story will inspire people around the world, who are struggling with challenges.

Sad Stories of Young People around the World 
Encouragement for Anyone in Despair 

On May 10, 2011
A young man committed suicide by jumping from the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building in Dubai.

Of the 473 people who committed suicide in New York City in 2008, nearly 20% chose to jump off tall buildings.

Comparison and competition
Many young men around the world are experiencing immense stress in a competitive society. 
 
Some are overwhelmed and end their lives by jumping off a skyscraper, a symbol of success.

Suicide is the leading cause of death among college students in Shanghai.
- Xinhua News Agency

Train suicides of students in a prestigious high school in Silicon Valley, California
- The New York Times

The leading cause of death among Korean people between the ages of 20~29:
Suicide
- 2009 Youth Statistics, Statistics Korea

Are there ways to prevent suicide?

Yes, you have the solution in yourself.

In the past, we suffered from poverty and hunger.

Today, we suffer from a lack of hope and opportunity to use our potential.

In the face of challenge, many young people around the world are in despair.

Do you have any encouraging stories for them?

VANK is looking for your stories of overcoming challenge.

Do you have experience of overcoming a challenge with faith and hope?

We are NOT looking for stories about you being the first or the best.

Rather, we want to hear how you came out of a cycle of competition and comparison.

How did you pull yourself out of despair and spring back up again?

Your stories will make the history of Korea.

The history of miracles will inspire hope among people around the world.

We will spread our stories of hope throughout the world.

We make Korea.
“We are proud Koreans.”