A recent audit by Korea’s Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) has laid bare an unsettling truth: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has failed to adequately address a range of serious historical and factual inaccuracies about Korea in overseas school textbooks. Based on a 2021–23 survey by the Academy of Korean Studies, educational materials in 81 countries were found to contain deeply flawed information about Korea — misrepresentations that are not only factually wrong but also damaging to the nation’s image, identity and diplomatic standing.
The examples are alarming. In the United Kingdom, some textbooks falsely locate Korea in Southeast Asia and claim it produces amphetamines — an egregious combination of geographical and criminal mischaracterization. In Laos, Korea is portrayed as a predominantly agrarian society, with an outdated and exaggerated claim that 63 percent of its population are farmers, ignoring Korea’s transformation into a global leader in technology and innovation. Another Laotian textbook claims Russia occupied Korea from 1864 to 1875. A Spanish textbook asserts that between 10 to 49 percent of Koreans are Muslim — an astounding inaccuracy in a country where Islam remains a small minority. And in one Spanish textbook, Jeju Island is described as Japanese territory as of 1895, a baseless claim that ignores Korea’s sovereign territorial integrity.
Even more shockingly, a Hungarian textbook states that Korea was colonized by Spain between 1750 and 1850 — a complete fabrication. Other distortions are equally troubling: Argentina’s curriculum suggests that Korea’s infant mortality rate is between 40 and 60 percent and that most Koreans wish to emigrate.
These are not isolated incidents nor minor editorial oversights. They are widespread inaccuracies that shape how future generations around the world will perceive Korea — its people, its history and its global role. They perpetuate harmful stereotypes, obscure the nation’s historical struggles and achievements and erode Korea’s soft power on the world stage.
The most troubling aspect, however, is the passive response — or complete inaction — by some of Korea’s overseas diplomatic missions. The BAI report highlights that 11 embassies, including those in the United Kingdom, Hungary and Laos, failed to pursue corrective action, even after being informed of these inaccuracies. In some cases, Korean communities abroad had alerted local missions, only to see no follow-up.
This must end.
The foreign ministry must act with urgency and determination. First, a centralized and well-funded task force should be established within the ministry to monitor, verify and coordinate responses to foreign textbook content. This body should work closely with the Academy of Korean Studies and other academic institutions to ensure factual accuracy based on credible sources and research.
Second, Korean embassies must be equipped with specialized staff trained in education diplomacy, capable of engaging constructively — but firmly — with local education ministries, publishers and academic boards. Rather than treating this as a public relations issue, embassies should regard it as a core diplomatic responsibility. The ministry must also introduce a standardized reporting and follow-up mechanism for embassies to document cases and track outcomes.
However, the responsibility does not lie with Korea alone. Governments and educational authorities in the countries identified must take equal responsibility for the integrity of their educational materials. Textbooks should be subjected to rigorous fact-checking, particularly on matters of foreign history and culture. Korea should actively propose bilateral consultation frameworks with these countries, offering scholarly assistance and access to reliable resources to support textbook revision.
Correcting these inaccuracies is not about demanding idealized portrayals of Korea — it is about safeguarding factual integrity and ensuring that students worldwide learn accurate, evidence-based history. When textbooks teach falsehoods, they plant the seeds of misunderstanding and prejudice.
Korea cannot allow others to distort its narrative. The foreign ministry must lead a proactive, strategic effort to correct the record. The time for passive observation has long passed. It is time for Korea to tell its story — clearly, truthfully and unapologetically.