History lectures draw negative reactions from students

Posted on : 2008-11-28 13:28 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
‘I don’t think it’s good to hear just one side’s opinion like today’: High school senior Lee Seung-ha
 the head of the North Korea Democratization Forum
the head of the North Korea Democratization Forum

“By your words, it seems you are valuing only results and ignoring the wrongs committed by the Park Chung-hee administration in the process of economic growth. Are there not also many people neglected in ideologically growth-centered economic policy?”

This question was asked yesterday by Kim Ye-rin, a senior at Hyomun High School in Seoul’s Dobong-gu, to former JoongAng Ilbo editorial advisor Gang Wi-seok, who was speaking as a lecturer on the first day of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education’s “Special Course in Modern History.” This course, aimed at high school seniors, is generating controversy for its “rightward tendencies,” with a large number of prominent figures with conservative tendencies appearing as lecturers.

Kim was presenting her objections to a comment made by Gang in a lecture on the theme of “the global economy and the river waters of freedom,” where he said, “Former President Park Chung-hee preserved the society from disorder, enabling continuous economic development.” Perhaps disconcerted by the unexpected question, the red-faced Gang was evasive, saying, “It’s like a dream seeing the village of shacks disappearing from around Cheonggyecheon and the area getting better each day.”

Teachers also took issue with the content of Gang’s lecture and waged a war of words. Teacher Park Jun-jin stated, “You have overlooked the fact that the dictatorship of former President Park nullified the trust of the people, who wanted to escape from the Syngman Rhee administration in the wave of the student movement of April 19, 1960.”

In response to Gang’s statement that “We should not cling to a false image like unification, but rather come out and dedicate ourselves to doing beneficial things for our families,” teacher Na Pyeong-sun said, “There are concerns that such words will implant a false awareness of unification in the minds of children.”

The reactions from students who attended the lecture were mostly negative. “I don’t know how this kind of lecture helps high school seniors, and it feels like I just wasted my time,” said Kim Ha-jin, a student.

In a presentation entitled “What is unification to us?” delivered at Sungduk Girls’ Commercial High School in Gangdong-gu yesterday, Lee Dong-bok, the head of the North Korea Democratization Forum, made a series of statements defending the dictatorship and promoting an anti-North Korean ideology. Lee said, “The Republic of Korea was able to realize this much economic growth in a short period of time because it had the capabilities of a leader like former President Park Chung-hee within a stark reality of national security.” Lee also said, “While it is true that there was suppression of democratization forces, it is inefficient to insist on democratization excessively.” He added, “If the 38th parallel had not been drawn, you might have become just like our fellow Koreans languishing in North Korea.”

Lee Seung-ha, 18, a high school senior who heard this lecture, commented, “I heard that the Office of Education prepared this special lecture because history education was biased, but I don’t think it’s good to hear just one side’s opinion like today.”

The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union ( Jeon Gyo Jo) and the National Association of Parents for True (Cham) Education held a press conference in front of Sungduk Girls’ Commercial High School that day, attempting to block Lee Dong-bok from going into the school and arguing with the police.

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