S Korea to issue ‘correct history textbook’ to students
Government announces it will “correct errors” by writing its own version of history, angering teachers and academics.
Seoul – The South Korean government has said it will replace the country’s school history books with a single text, which will be called the “correct history textbook”.
Hwang Woo-yea, the education minister, said on Monday that “the current history textbooks contain errors in historical facts and contents that have caused controversy over ideological bias”.
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“This has been causing confusion over history perception among students and also a division in national discourse and social conflicts,” Hwang said.
Critics say the government wants, among other things, to portray current President Park Geun-hye’s father, the 1960s and ’70s dictator, Park Chung-hee, in a better light.
More than 50,000 people have signed a petition against the move – the protests led by teachers and academics.
It will mean the contents of the textbook can be changed to suit the state’s taste, said Han Sang-kwon, a professor of history at the Duksung Women’s University.
“Even if solid academic findings are used in the writing of the book, the contents can be changed and distorted.”