Opposition coalition formed against state textbooks

By Do Je-hae

The leaders of the opposition parties agreed Monday to form a united front to fight against President Park Geun-hye’s move to introduce state-authored history textbooks into the national curriculum.

While the government has underlined the need for balanced history education through a single textbook published by the government, the opposition camp has called the move an attempt to whitewash history.

The opposition bloc formed an alliance to rev up their protest of the Park administration’s plan to restore publishing authority of history textbooks.

The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) Chairman Rep. Moon Jae-in, Justice Party Chairwoman Rep. Sim Sang-jeung and opposition-turned independent lawmaker Chun Jung-bae held a joint conference to discuss cooperation on protesting against state textbooks.

During the 40-minute meeting, they agreed to jointly conduct a range of anti-state textbook movements, including a campaign to collect 10 million signatures. They also agreed to hold events to promote their stance such as forums with civic groups, scholars and teachers. Details of the joint actions will come after further working-level discussions.

The tripartite meeting comes as a wave of protest against the government-authored textbooks is getting fiercer. Many historians have declared resistance to writing the textbooks since the education ministry announced its plan to monopolize the publication of history textbooks for secondary education earlier this month. Sim first proposed the opposition’s joint conference on protesting against the state textbooks on Oct. 13 during a speech at the National Assembly.

“We represent different parties, but a consensus against the textbooks that glorify pro-Japanese activities and authoritarian rule has joined the opposition bloc,” Moon said during the conference, Monday, at the National Assembly. “The conference is a starting point for a people’s movement against state textbooks.”

Moon urged the opposition camp’s cooperation for the NPAD’s signature-collecting campaign against the government-authored history textbooks.

Sim pleaded that the government should abandon its pursuit of publishing history textbooks by referring to a recent UN resolution that urged the abolition of a similar textbook revision in Vietnam.

Chun said that the opposition alliance will work together with the education sector and with civic groups. “We are resolved to fight the state-authored textbooks with people from all walks life,” the independent lawmaker said.

A network of various civic groups, liberal scholars and religious leaders held a press conference Monday in central Seoul to resist the textbook revision. “The implementation of state textbooks seriously threatens the diversity of society and the independence of education,” the network said.

Meanwhile, a partisan dispute over the textbooks disrupted on Monday, the first day of the Assembly’s review of the government budget for next year.

The NPAD has refused to discuss the budget for the government-written history textbooks. Budget reviews by several Assembly committees were delayed Monday as the opposition party members were absent due to a party caucus to discuss the textbook issue.

The ruling party criticized the main opposition for linking the budgetary proceedings with the textbook row.

“The budget bill must be processed before Dec. 2,” Saenuri Party floor leader Rep. Won Yoo-chul said during a Supreme Council meeting Monday. “The NPAD should entrust the textbooks to experts and cooperate on Assembly proceedings.”