By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
Popular singer Kim Jang-hoon, 40, will donate 100 million won to the Voluntary Agency Network of Korea (VANK) to correct the distortion of historical facts. VANK is a non-government organization that seeks to rectify false information about Korea on foreign Web sites.
Kim earned the money from his work as an advertising model. Half of the donation will be used in producing postcards that describe Dokdo islets as Korean territory and history textbooks for foreigners. The rest of the fund will be allotted to increase the number of VANK members.
Kim has given performances to aid the fight against a Chinese research project which claims the Chinese people’s historical sovereignty over Goguryeo, north of the Korean Peninsula which is now part of Chinese territory. Also he has protested against the Japanese leadership’s worship at the Yasukuni Shrine, which has, among others, the graves of war criminals; as well as the leadership’s denial of the cause of the ``comfort women,’’ who were forced to provide sex to Japanese soldiers during World War II.
``I am interested in history and know about the activities of VANK very well. I believe they are true patriots because VANK is doing something that the government cannot do,’’ Kim said while visiting VANK’s office last month. ``This is why I visited them in person and decided to donate the money.’’