hankyoreh

in front of the Central Government Complex in Seoul

In response to plans by the administration of President Park Geun-hye to issue a single Korean history textbook, around 15,000 teachers signed a statement that denounced this as an “attempt to revert to the Yushin period.” The backlash from different fields appears to be gathering momentum, with university professors releasing multiple statements opposing the plan and school superintendents from various cities and provinces urging the government to reconsider its plans to revise the school curriculum.

On Sep. 17, the Korea Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) held a press conference in front of the Central Government Complex in Seoul, where the union issued a statement by teachers demanding that the government immediately scrap its plan to use a single Korean history textbook. The statement was signed by a total of 15,701 teachers – both union members and non-union members - as well as KTU President Byeon Seong-ho.

The collective statement of opposition by school teachers to the plans to issue a single state history textbook was the second such statement, following one released by around 2,000 history teachers on Sep. 2.

“History teachers weren’t forced to teach with state-issued textbooks during the Japanese colonial occupation or the administration of Syngman Rhee [1948-1960]. State history textbooks were issued under the Yushin regime, but this was a relic of the old generation that was cleared away during the democratization of Korean society. The current system of assessment and approval is a product of the development of Korean democracy and a result of the fight against despotism,” the teachers said in the statement.

The statement also addressed remarks by South Korea’s Education Ministry that, presuming the state-issued history textbook system is adopted, it will start distributing these textbooks in 2017, one year before 2018, when the ongoing 2015 Curriculum revision process is supposed to take effect. “Since 2017 is both the final year of President Park’s term in office and the 100th birthday of her father and former dictator Park Chung-hee, this is an obvious example of education being swayed by political interests,” the teachers said.

On Sep. 17, progressive education superintendents from 14 cities and provinces around the country who had issued a joint statement on Sep. 8 and 9 opposing the single history textbook came together once again to urge the government to scrap the ongoing 2015 Curriculum revision process along with the single textbook plan.

In a joint statement, the superintendents said, “The push to nationalize history textbooks is based on the anachronistic idea that the state should control the historical views of the public.” They urged the government to create a team of expert researchers to discuss a “fundamental and long-term curriculum.”

University professors are also continuing to raise their voices against the government plan. Following statements of opposition from Duksung Women's University, Pusan National University, and Korea University, 47 professors from Seowon University issued a statement expressing their “firm opposition” to the Park administration’s attempts to issue a single history textbook.

By Um Ji-won, staff reporter

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