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EBS to overhaul lectures after controversy over anti-military remarks
By Lee Hyo-sik
Staff reporter
A lecturer with the state-funded Educational Broadcasting System (EBS) made derogatory remarks against the military and those who have served in the nation’s armed forces, creating a controversy on the airwaves.
The broadcaster said Monday it will overhaul its online lectures to prevent a recurrence or similar incidents.
With her remarks spreading like wildfire in cyberspace, the female teacher posted a written apology on the EBS website. In a bid to lay the escalating row to the rest, EBS decided to strip her of her teaching post and issued an official apology.
EBS said Sunday it has deleted the controversial lecture clip, given by the 38-year old Chang Hee-min, from its website. Chang, a teacher at one of Seoul’s prestigious private high schools, Hana Academy Seoul, began teaching Korean language at the broadcaster in February 2007.
In the clip posted on March 11, she said, “Women give birth to men and raise them painstakingly. But when Korean men grow up, they go to the military and learn how to kill (people). If they had not learned this in the first place, the world would be a perfectly peaceful place.” Chang also said men take pleasure in being in the military, stressing that because they serve in the armed forces, they ask women for favors in return.
Her remarks began circulating in cyberspace July 24, drawing criticism from many Internet users. One netizen, who identified himself as a 28-year-old male, posted a disapproving message on one of the nation’s leading portal sites. “As a healthy Korean man, I had no choice but to spend two years in the army. I fulfilled a solemn duty for my country. It is outrageous to hear someone refer to soldiers as killing machines.”
EBS has also come under criticism for its inadequate supervision of online teaching materials. It failed to screen inappropriate remarks by its lecturers and left the controversial lecture available online for more than four months.
With the growing public anger against her, Chang posted a written apology late Saturday night, saying she is deeply sorry about her remarks. “I intended to explain the difference between men and women with the use of particular language. But I got caught up in the moment and made reckless remarks. I know my words are unforgivable. I offer my sincere apology,” she said.
The broadcaster also uploaded a written apology on its homepage and deleted the problematic video clip the same day. “The lecturer’s statements concerning the military should never have been made. We are sorry about having failed to prevent such a thing from happening. We will reprimand the people responsible”
It added it will strengthen monitoring of online lecture materials and make more efforts to properly vet qualified lecturers.
On Sunday, EBS CEO Kwak Duok-hoon issued a statement, saying he feels responsible for Chang’s remarks. “As a person who completed military duty, I do not understand how such remarks can be made. I offer a sincere apology to our educational service users and all other citizens. We will do everything we can to prevent something like this from happening again.”