hankyoreh

A copy of a new 6th grade social studies textbook released by the Education Ministry on Mar. 26 includes references to the candlelight demonstrations and student activists who were killed in the 1987 democratization movement. (provided by Education Ministry) 　

Social studies textbooks in South Korean elementary schools next year will include accounts of the candlelight demonstrations calling for former President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment. Accounts about university students Park Jong-cheol and Lee Han-yeol, who were killed by police while campaigning for democratization in 1987, will also be included in the elementary school curriculum for the first time.

A social studies textbook field review copy application plan released by the Education Ministry on Mar. 26 for the first semester of the sixth grade of elementary school as of 2019 includes content regarding the “development of liberal democracy and civic engagement” in the very first paragraph of the new textbook. The candlelight demonstrations are included as an example of citizens venturing out into the streets to peacefully resolve heated political and social issues.

The field review textbook also poses questions about the demonstrations, including “Why is a proper attitude of practicing democracy necessary in daily life?” and “Why is political engagement by citizens important for the development of our society?” The book includes an image of candle-holding citizens crowding the Gwanghwamun Square area in downtown Seoul.

New additions to the field review textbook include accounts about Park Jong-cheol, who died during torture ahead of the June 1987 democratization movement, and Lee Han-yeol, who died after being struck by a tear gas grenade thrown by police suppressing demonstrations.

“Illegally seized by police for having taken part in the democratization movement, university student Park Jong-cheol died while undergoing torture,” the book writes of Park’s death. Its account of Lee’s death reads, “University students Lee Han-yeol died after being struck by a tear gas grenade fired by police while participating in a demonstration.”

The new textbook is also expected to include more lessons on past democratization movements. The field review copy increased the amount of space dedicated to the April 19 Revolution of 1960 from three pages to six, and its treatment of the June Democracy Struggle in 1987 from one page to three.

In the book, “increased political engagement by citizens” during these democratization movements is described as having laid the groundwork for the development of democracy. The same movements were described in past textbooks as “efforts by citizens to achieve liberal democracy.” In contrast, the book’s treatment of the military coup of May 16, 1961, was reduced by around half from four pages and combined into a single paragraph with an account of the May 18 Democratization Movement in 1980.

A field review textbook is a copy of a new textbook distributed ahead of publication for teachers to review altered curriculum content and changes to the amount of coverage for specific topics.

“Its usefulness as a learning material and general field appropriateness will be reviewed, and the final version should be published in December,” a Ministry of Education official said.

“We plan to hear many different opinions to produce a high-quality social studies textbook,” the official added.

By Hong Seok-jae, staff reporter

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