I participated in VANK’s campaign to correct misinformation about Jikji. I found inaccurate information about Jikji on a Japanese history education website called “The Window to World History (世界史の窓).” It provides information about world history to Japanese high school students, teachers, and the Japanese public. In section two of chapter six in world history terminology on the website, you can find the word “printing press (活字印刷)” in the part about the culture of Song China. Previously, the website stated, “In the early thirteenth century, Goryeo used movable metal type, but no book survived from that period.”

I informed them that Jikji is the world’s oldest extant movable metal type print, printed in 1377, and convinced them to include this information in order to facilitate a better understanding of history among Japanese students and teachers. A couple days later, I received a response, notifying that the website had been updated to reflect the information about Jikji. It added that Korea invented movable metal type and Jikji is the oldest extant movable metal type print in the world.

Now, it describes Jikji in detail, including the year of its printing (1377), preceding the Gutenberg Bible (1455) by 78 years, its discovery, current location, and why it is in France, and its content. At the end of the section, it specifies that the correction was made at the request of Oh Yujin, a VANK member (韓国のVANKという団体の会員のオ・ユジンさんから教えていただいて修正しました。).

When I emailed them, I didn’t expect much. I thought it would still be worth trying. To my surprise, the website was updated in two days. And my name was on the website with the correction. My Japanese was not very fluent. When I wrote that email, I had to look up many words in a Japanese dictionary. That email still brought change. Due to my effort, more Japanese people will learn about Jikji. Although change on one education website won’t make a huge difference, it is still a little step toward bigger change. When our efforts come together, the world will change!