State History Textbooks to Counter ‘Leftwing’ Trend in Schools

Now high schools can choose from books released by eight different publishing companies, but the government said those were all too left-wing. Its description of the May 16 military coup, through which Park rose to power ― a “revolution that aimed to eradicate corruption and save the country from the threat of political confusion and terrorism” ― is one of the most contentious issues. “In the past, I always used to argue, ‘South Koreans opted for a state textbook designation system in the past, but now it’s an authorization system just like Japan’s”, Suzuki said.

The South Gyeongsang chapter of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU), the country’s largest liberal teachers’ bloc, also proclaimed they would make their own history textbooks and use them during class.

Critics say the Park government directive also seems hypocritical given that Seoul has criticized Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for issuing government sanctioned history books accused of downplaying atrocities committed against Koreans during Japanese colonial rule. Subsequently primary school textbooks presented heroic tales of war such as that of the “three suicide warriors” who lost their lives for the state – stories that helped turn students into militarist youths willing to die for their emperor.

Education Minister Hwang Woo-yea, however, said the ministry has already contacted and made an agreement with several scholars who will participate as authors.

The new text, to be issued in 2017 and named The Correct Textbook of History, will be written by a government-appointed panel of history teachers and academics.

The government has stressed the importance of ensuring students have a balanced recognition of history. We tend to avoid controversial history in our curriculum, we’re very keen on looking at more distant history and somehow, for a few reason the less controversial it becomes.

Moon rebuked President Park Geun-hye’s claim that the new books would emphasize an accurate historical education.

The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy has already vowed to fight the change, with its spokesperson insisting that “years of democratic movements to change the state-authored textbook” can not easily be undone.

“And I think there is a desire within the right wing government to control the presentation of that history in order to perhaps reflect more positively on the achievements during that time and also their role and the role of their party in that history”. According to Suzuki, Japanese news outlets have consistently responded to debates over historical issues with South Korea – such as sovereignty over Dokdo and the drafting of “comfort women” – by broadcasting footage from the schools where the matters are the focus of intensive teaching. Park’s party has the votes in the National Assembly to override any attempt to try to stop the mandate.

The Education Ministry said it will pursue legal actions if the superintendent-certified textbooks are politically biased.

“The screening process has let in textbooks that positively describe North Korean ideologies while rejecting South Korea’s democracy”, Kwon Hui-young, a liberal arts professor at the Graduate School of Korean Studies, said.

We do not feel the need to enumerate the countless problems and disadvantages of state textbooks.

Moon said that the factions and forces within the opposition parties that are reasonable and have commonsense will muster the strength to block the government’s bid to control history textbooks.