essay#2

Minjung1

Byun Min-Jung

Prof. Kyle Brebner

IERW (04)

20 November 2015

‘Who should be responsible for writing history books, the government or private companies?’

Recently, there was an event that shacked Korea. Korean government planned to write national textbook of history. It means prohibit private companies to publish history textbook and at the Ministry of Education, they gathered historical professors, teachers and made national textbook of history. This causes many history textbooks are abolished and single history textbook can survive. This single textbook is national textbook which made by government. In response, including Korean National University professors, many professors and university students refuse this. Each colleague students put up hand-written posters that made their stance.

Though this strong opposition, why our current government want to conduct this plan? At first, through this plan, government can select publisher so they can control the information contained in textbook. If so, it is certain that textbook will be written more favorable information tcurrentgovernment.Especially in history, we can come up with

varieties of interpretations throw one historical event. But national textbook of history disturbs variety of interpretations.

Currently countries that use national textbook in the world are China, Taiwan, Singapore and Vietnam. North Korea, Sri Lanka, Mongolia. No country is use national textbook among OECD countries. If Korea publish national textbook, it is the only case in OECD. The introduction of a national textbook means that government controls historical consciousness of the public. As I mentioned, countries use national textbook are communist countries or dictatorship. I can’t understand why Republic of Korea does this plan. It is certain that the government write a national textbook of history in an advantage position to current government. In the case of a severe ideological conflict country like South Korea, we may change the textbook every five year the regime change. I think this is not just education. Stagnant water is bound to corrupt. It means, the uniform interpretation of history is preventing a variety of view and eventually will corrupt. Also national textbook of history reverses our history upside down. Why? National textbook of history beautify truth of pro-Japanese and dictatorship of Park Jung-hee. When our country was a Japanese colony, patriots and pro-Japanese and democratic patriots are proud of their victory. So we should be teaching the truth to our children and descendants.

So who should be responsible for writing history books? The government or private companies? I think both the government and private companies. If we write a textbook of history in the government’s stance that will certainly write in favor of the current government. It means we may change the textbook every five year the regime change. What a ridiculous situation it is! Conversely, if only private companies write textbook of history, it was written by so many people that we can’t understand what is really true. Both methods are dangerous to the students who must study correct history. So my opinion is both the government and private companies should write together. History is more important than any other subject. Knowing the correct history can understand past, understand present and expect future. I hope in this critical history, please don’t cut in profit and power.