By Yi Whan-woo
President Park Geun-hye is forging ahead with her campaign for the state-authored history textbooks, adding fuel to the ideological war with the opposition.
She plans to call for public support for the publication of the state textbooks during her National Assembly speech on Oct. 27, according to presidential aides Friday.
Park and the ruling Saenuri Party have claimed that the textbooks used now, written by private publishers under the guidelines set by the government, carry "predominantly left-leaning content."
The officials said Park will also ask for bipartisan cooperation in passing economy-related bills during her speech. They include those on the 2016 budget, the Korea-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the President's labor reform plans to revitalize the faltering economy.
However, the escalating ideological war between Cheong Wa Dae and the opposition over the history textbooks is casting shadows over the prospects of the National Assembly in handling major state affairs.
Park's parliamentary visit will come after she insisted on the government's right to monopolize authoring history textbooks for middle and high school students during a meeting with ruling and opposition leaders, Thursday.
In a nearly two-hour meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Park and her guests spent more than 30 minutes sparring over textbook-related issues although she invited them to ask for parliamentary support in reviving the economy.
The NPAD has claimed that the envisioned state-authored textbooks are aimed at glorifying conservatives, including Park's late father and dictator, Park Chung-hee.
Middle and high schools will use the textbooks written by the government beginning in March 2017 in line with draft guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education on Oct. 12. It will take effect 20 days from its issuance date unless the government withdraws its plan.
With no legal option to prevent the government from putting this plan into effect, the NPAD will be uncooperative in passing the economy-related bills as part of its "retaliatory measures," analysts say.
They said people on both sides of the political spectrum agree on one thing: the escalating confrontation will keep the nation divided.
Rep. Moon urged that the public join the opposition in their protest against Park during his visit to Daegu, Friday, a stronghold of the ruling party.
NPAD floor leader Rep. Lee Jong-kul hinted at boycotting a planned meeting among the leaders of the rival parties, including their chairmen and chief policymakers.
The Saenuri Party first proposed the meeting to negotiate details over the economy-related bills. The date for the bipartisan meeting has not been decided.
During a National Assembly audit, presidential chief of staff Lee Byung-ki claimed those scholars who oppose the state-authored history textbooks have no expertise in writing such books.
Political pundits expect the "war over history" will bring political paralysis at the National Assembly.
"It remains to be seen to what extent the NPAD will cooperate with the Saenuri Party in passing the bills on next year's budget and the Korea-China FTA," said Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University.
"Regarding Park's reform plans on labor, there's the possibility that the opposition will boycott the related-bills for the time being."
He added that such a boycott may deal a blow to the NPAD, however, if the Saenuri Party blames the opposition for the sluggish economy in their campaign for the general elections in April.
"The ruling Saenuri Party could capitalize on the textbook-related issues to unite the conservatives while wooing swing voters by stressing that the NPAD is unwilling to join forces to bolster the economy," Shin said.
President Park Geun-hye is forging ahead with her campaign for the state-authored history textbooks, adding fuel to the ideological war with the opposition.
She plans to call for public support for the publication of the state textbooks during her National Assembly speech on Oct. 27, according to presidential aides Friday.
Park and the ruling Saenuri Party have claimed that the textbooks used now, written by private publishers under the guidelines set by the government, carry "predominantly left-leaning content."
The officials said Park will also ask for bipartisan cooperation in passing economy-related bills during her speech. They include those on the 2016 budget, the Korea-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the President's labor reform plans to revitalize the faltering economy.
However, the escalating ideological war between Cheong Wa Dae and the opposition over the history textbooks is casting shadows over the prospects of the National Assembly in handling major state affairs.
Park's parliamentary visit will come after she insisted on the government's right to monopolize authoring history textbooks for middle and high school students during a meeting with ruling and opposition leaders, Thursday.
In a nearly two-hour meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Park and her guests spent more than 30 minutes sparring over textbook-related issues although she invited them to ask for parliamentary support in reviving the economy.
The NPAD has claimed that the envisioned state-authored textbooks are aimed at glorifying conservatives, including Park's late father and dictator, Park Chung-hee.
Middle and high schools will use the textbooks written by the government beginning in March 2017 in line with draft guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education on Oct. 12. It will take effect 20 days from its issuance date unless the government withdraws its plan.
With no legal option to prevent the government from putting this plan into effect, the NPAD will be uncooperative in passing the economy-related bills as part of its "retaliatory measures," analysts say.
They said people on both sides of the political spectrum agree on one thing: the escalating confrontation will keep the nation divided.
Rep. Moon urged that the public join the opposition in their protest against Park during his visit to Daegu, Friday, a stronghold of the ruling party.
NPAD floor leader Rep. Lee Jong-kul hinted at boycotting a planned meeting among the leaders of the rival parties, including their chairmen and chief policymakers.
The Saenuri Party first proposed the meeting to negotiate details over the economy-related bills. The date for the bipartisan meeting has not been decided.
During a National Assembly audit, presidential chief of staff Lee Byung-ki claimed those scholars who oppose the state-authored history textbooks have no expertise in writing such books.
Political pundits expect the "war over history" will bring political paralysis at the National Assembly.
"It remains to be seen to what extent the NPAD will cooperate with the Saenuri Party in passing the bills on next year's budget and the Korea-China FTA," said Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University.
"Regarding Park's reform plans on labor, there's the possibility that the opposition will boycott the related-bills for the time being."
He added that such a boycott may deal a blow to the NPAD, however, if the Saenuri Party blames the opposition for the sluggish economy in their campaign for the general elections in April.
"The ruling Saenuri Party could capitalize on the textbook-related issues to unite the conservatives while wooing swing voters by stressing that the NPAD is unwilling to join forces to bolster the economy," Shin said.
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