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Sports and Tourism is under fire for publishing and distributing a book

It has been found that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism published a book that describes the roots of democracy in South Korea as the “rule of the U.S. military” during the period between 1945-48. But this ignores the legitimacy of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, recognition of which is part of the preamble of the South Korean Constitution. About 30,000 copies of the book, which was published as part of the government’s efforts to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Korea, were distributed to middle and high schools nationwide.

According to the accounts given by teachers and the ministry officials on Monday, the MCST commissioned professors involved in the Textbook Forum, a conservative group aligned with the New Right, to write the 200-page book, “60th Anniversary of the Founding of the Republic of Korea, Great People -- New Dream.” The books were distributed to middle and high schools, military units and government agencies nationwide in late October. The writers of the book are members of the Textbook Forum, including the group’s co-leader, Seoul National University Professor Park Hyo-jong, and other executive members of the group: Kang Gyu-hyeong (Myongji University), Kim Young-ho (Sungshin Women’s University), Kim Il-young (Sungkyunkwan University) and Jeon Sang-in (Seoul National University).

The writers of the textbook-style book, which covers the history of South Korea from the 1940s to 2000, emphasize that the date of the founding of the Republic of Korea should be recorded as August 15, 1948. “The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was not an independent country with international recognition. In reality, credit for the meritorious deed of founding the Republic of Korea should be given to those who participated in the establishment of the government in August 1948,” the book says. This statement is in line with the claim by New Right organizations that former President Syngman Rhee is the founding father of the Republic of Korea.

However, that contradicts the preamble of the Constitution, which begins: “We, the people of Korea, proud of a resplendent history and traditions dating from time immemorial, upholding the cause of the Provisional Republic of Korea Government born of the March First Independence Movement of 1919 and the democratic ideals of the April Nineteenth Uprising of 1960 against injustice...”

Lee Yong-joong, a professor of law at Dongguk University, said, “According to the Constitution, the date of the founding the Republic of Korea is set at the founding of the Provisional Government. If August 1948 is set as the date of the founding the Republic of Korea, it will fully deny the history of independence movements during the period of Japanese colonial rule,” Lee said.

“China, France, Poland, the Soviet Union and the United States recognized and supported the Provisional Government. On the day he addressed the Constitutional Assembly in 1948, former President Syngman Rhee said that it was the 30th anniversary of the nation’s founding (since the establishment of the Provisional Government),” Lee said.

The book also says the “virtual roots of democracy in the Republic of Korea are the rule of the U.S. military (1945-48)” (page 114), given that a U.S.-style political system was adopted during that period.

Han Hong-gu, a professor of contemporary Korean history at SungKongHoe University, said, “It makes no sense to describe the rule of the U.S. military, which forced people to follow their orders, as the roots of democracy. I can’t understand how such book could be distributed to schools and other places, and funded by the government.”

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]