By Lee Jihae

The Korean Culture and Information Service, an affiliate of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, on Sept. 1 unveiled a redesign of its Facts About Korea website to mark the latter's fifth anniversary.

The government-run site (www.factsaboutkorea.go.kr) was launched on Sept. 1, 2016, to dispel misinformation about Korea abroad and disseminate the correct data. The redesign was prompted by criticism from users over the "complicated process" of looking up such false information on the site.

The top of the homepage has the sections "Report process," "About Korea," and "Report inaccuracies" to allow visitors to easily understand the site's functions.

The website shows in an organized manner the misinformation it accumulated in its first five years, and urges visitors both home and abroad to stay interested in inaccuracies on Korea and report them.

The activities of Friends of Korea, a civic group that report inaccuracies about Korea, are also on the site. Facts about Korea is also connected to its social media accounts such as on Facebook and Instagram, thus complementing its function as a communication channel. The names on the menu were intuitively changed with a more readable design applied. Technological advances such as direct links were also added. 

To commemorate its redesign, Facts About Korea is holding online events with participants eligible to receive gifts.

The site is offered in 11 languages: Korean, English, Spanish, Mandarin (Chinese), Vietnamese, Japanese, German, French, Russian, Arabic and Indonesian.

jihlee08@korea.kr