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| President Park Geun-hye delivers a speech to ruling and opposition party lawmakers at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. / Joint press corps |
Conflict with opposition intensifies
By Kang Seung-woo
President Park Geun-hye reaffirmed Tuesday her support for state-authored history textbooks, saying schools should teach "accurate" history.
In a televised address to the National Assembly, Park made it clear that she will not budge on growing opposition to her administration's plan to monopolize the right to publish history textbooks for use in secondary schools.
She dismissed criticism that she is attempting to distort history — especially about events in the 1960s and ‘70s when her deceased father, Park Chung-hee, ruled the nation.
"Normalizing history education is our duty for the younger generation to lead the country," Park said. "Correcting history cannot and should not be the subject of political strife."
Her speech came amid growing political tension over the government's textbook plan with opposition parties and liberal historians and activists set to hold joint rallies to block the move.
During her 42-minute address, ruling party lawmakers clapped 56 times, while opposition lawmakers remained silent in protest. Her speech was delayed by 15 minutes because of inter-party disputes over signs that opposition lawmakers put on monitors in front of them, which stated "Opposition to state-authored textbooks" or "Prioritize people's livelihoods."
President Park and the ruling Saenuri Party have claimed that the current textbooks contain numerous factual errors and offer mostly leftist perspectives of history.
"The government's drive is aimed at helping the younger generation have the right perception of history so that they can feel proud of being citizens of Korea," Park said.
She added that without an accurate historical perception, the nation may be controlled culturally or economically by other countries.
In response to the textbook plan, the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), civic groups and a number of academics have protested against claims that the state textbooks would play down the legacy of pro-Japanese collaborators and whitewash the dictatorship of former President Park Chung-hee.
However, the President rejected this idea, vowing not to tolerate such history textbooks.
"Even if writing history textbooks has yet to begin, incorrect information is rampant," she said.
"There are some concerns that the government may distort or glorify history, but I will not stand for it," she said.
Her address took place five days after Park and NPAD Chairman Moon Jae-in sparred over the issue in a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae.
After NPAD members put signs on the back of their laptops stating their opposition to the state-authored textbooks, National Assembly speaker Chung Ui-hwa asked the lawmakers to remove them before Park entered, but they rejected this demand.
The main opposition attacked Park for disregarding the people's call to prevent the reintroduction of state-authored textbooks and calls to revive the economy.
"Park failed to come up with any solution to the current economic difficulties," Moon told reporters after the speech.
In line with the protest, the NPAD staged a street rally in Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul later in the day and participated in a candlelit vigil, organized by a civic group, to gain public support against the state-authored history books.
Ahead of her speech, Park had a conversation with leaders of the ruling and opposition parties for 10 minutes.
During the meeting, the NPAD chief took issue with a "secret" task force that the government allegedly formed to push ahead with the textbook plan. Park said that the education ministry would lift the veil on the case later on.
Along with the textbook issue, Park asked the National Assembly to rapidly ratify the nation's free trade agreements with China, New Zealand and Vietnam, and called for the NPAD's cooperation in passing economy-related bills pending at the National Assembly to create jobs for young people.
Park also said that the government will make efforts to hold reunions for families separated by the Korean War on a regular basis. South and North Korea completed six days of family reunions, Monday.
In the wake of this year's outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome as well as last year's sinking of the Sewol ferry, Park said that the government will set aside 14.8 trillion won ($13 billion) for measures meant to boost public safety.
Also, the government plans to inject more than 30 percent of next year's budget into the welfare sector.
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