President reinstates pro-democracy Gwangju Uprising song
By Jun Ji-hye
President Moon Jae-in ordered the abolishment of the controversial history textbooks authored by the former Park Geun-hye administration for middle and high school students, Friday.
The state-authored textbooks had been controversial throughout the conservative Park administration, with many historians saying such a state intervention would distort history and cause social divisions.
"Moon signed an executive order to abolish state-authored history textbooks to normalize history education and rebuild common sense and justice," Moon's chief press secretary Yoon Young-chan said at a press briefing.
Yoon called the state-authored textbooks a "symbol of the outdated, uniform education that stirred up divisions in the nation."
Moon's decision showed his firm belief that history education must not be used to further any particular political agenda, he said.
The final versions of the state-authored textbooks were published at the end of January after former President Park, who was removed from office in March, decided to reinstate such textbooks in 2015.
Park accused the textbooks authored by private publishers of being biased and pro-North Korea.
Critics, however, have accused Park of trying to glorify pro-Japanese activities during Japan's 1910-45 occupation of Korea as well as the military dictatorship of her father Park Chung-hee, who ruled the country for 18 years after a coup.
The liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has said the abolition of such books will be a "top priority for a new education minister under the new government," with Moon having pledged to abolish them during his campaign.
‘March for the Beloved'
As part of efforts to amend controversial decisions made by the Park government, Moon also ordered the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs to allow a symbolic pro-democracy song to be sung by all participants during an upcoming government-led ceremony commemorating the May 18 democratic uprising in Gwangju in 1980.
"Moon ordered the ministry to designate Imeul Wihan Haengjingok (March for the Beloved) as a song to be sung by all participants at the 37th memorial service for the May 18 uprising," Yoon said. "The decision reflected Moon's strong will to prevent the spirit of the movement from being damaged further."
The song, which was popular among student activists in the 1980s, had been sung by all participants at the memorial service until 2008. Then, the conservative Lee Myung-bak administration had the song performed only by a choir since 2011.
Far-right figures have claimed the song was sung by North Korean sympathizers, while liberals argued the song has been a symbol of the nation's pro-democracy movement.
Despite strong criticisms from the liberal lawmakers as well as relatives of those killed by soldiers during the movement, the Park government maintained the Lee administration's decision to have the song sung only by a choir.
Meanwhile, Moon also ordered his aides to speed up the establishment of an advisory committee tasked with setting up direction and aims of the government's policies.
"Such a committee is necessary as the new government was launched without a preparatory period with a presidential transition committee," Moon was quoted as saying.
The presidential office added it will establish on- and offline communication channels within the committee so every citizen can suggest various policy ideas.
By Jun Ji-hye
President Moon Jae-in ordered the abolishment of the controversial history textbooks authored by the former Park Geun-hye administration for middle and high school students, Friday.
The state-authored textbooks had been controversial throughout the conservative Park administration, with many historians saying such a state intervention would distort history and cause social divisions.
"Moon signed an executive order to abolish state-authored history textbooks to normalize history education and rebuild common sense and justice," Moon's chief press secretary Yoon Young-chan said at a press briefing.
Yoon called the state-authored textbooks a "symbol of the outdated, uniform education that stirred up divisions in the nation."
Moon's decision showed his firm belief that history education must not be used to further any particular political agenda, he said.
The final versions of the state-authored textbooks were published at the end of January after former President Park, who was removed from office in March, decided to reinstate such textbooks in 2015.
Park accused the textbooks authored by private publishers of being biased and pro-North Korea.
Critics, however, have accused Park of trying to glorify pro-Japanese activities during Japan's 1910-45 occupation of Korea as well as the military dictatorship of her father Park Chung-hee, who ruled the country for 18 years after a coup.
The liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has said the abolition of such books will be a "top priority for a new education minister under the new government," with Moon having pledged to abolish them during his campaign.
‘March for the Beloved'
As part of efforts to amend controversial decisions made by the Park government, Moon also ordered the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs to allow a symbolic pro-democracy song to be sung by all participants during an upcoming government-led ceremony commemorating the May 18 democratic uprising in Gwangju in 1980.
"Moon ordered the ministry to designate Imeul Wihan Haengjingok (March for the Beloved) as a song to be sung by all participants at the 37th memorial service for the May 18 uprising," Yoon said. "The decision reflected Moon's strong will to prevent the spirit of the movement from being damaged further."
The song, which was popular among student activists in the 1980s, had been sung by all participants at the memorial service until 2008. Then, the conservative Lee Myung-bak administration had the song performed only by a choir since 2011.
Far-right figures have claimed the song was sung by North Korean sympathizers, while liberals argued the song has been a symbol of the nation's pro-democracy movement.
Despite strong criticisms from the liberal lawmakers as well as relatives of those killed by soldiers during the movement, the Park government maintained the Lee administration's decision to have the song sung only by a choir.
Meanwhile, Moon also ordered his aides to speed up the establishment of an advisory committee tasked with setting up direction and aims of the government's policies.
"Such a committee is necessary as the new government was launched without a preparatory period with a presidential transition committee," Moon was quoted as saying.
The presidential office added it will establish on- and offline communication channels within the committee so every citizen can suggest various policy ideas.
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