A Study on the Context and Characteristics of Discourses about the Government-authorized Korean History Textbook System

Abstract

The main focus of this paper is to examine the context, genealogy, background, and intention of the logic that is composed of discourses about the government-authorized Korean history textbook system. The assertion that Korean history is separated from history education, as well as the purpose and content of the Korean History education are separately setting up and handling from general educational circles and purpose and tendency of history education has raised its voice supported by political authority. If the Korean history textbook publication system is changed to the government-authorized publication system, it will mean the same as a return to the October Yushin regime. Through several changes in the textbook policies, the Ministry of Education unilaterally overused modification orders and reinforced control and intervention. As a result, the officially certified Korean history textbook has been criticized for being highly distorted and similar to a government-authorized textbook. However, despite this fact, a return to the government-authorized textbook system should be prevented. Through this paper, it is clear that discourses about the government-authorized Korean history textbook system has the historical significance of returning to the October Yushin regime and the enforcement of the government-authorized system signifies a regression to anti-democracy and a sense of destroying such an important concept. For these reasons, the history education circles create a united voice and oppose the government-authorized textbook system strongly.