By Chung Ah-young
People are focusing on how sexual slavery perpetrated by the Japanese military before and during World War II will be described in the state-authored textbooks after the deal through which Korea and Japan recently resolved a longstanding dispute over the issue.
The former sex slaves and the civic groups supporting them worry that the books may say the issue was resolved through a "final and irreversible" agreement as the government claims, despite their strong opposition to the deal.
In the Dec. 28 agreement, Japan offered an apology and promised a 1 billion yen payment to establish a foundation for the 46 remaining Korean survivors.
However, the victims have protested the agreement, calling it humiliating, demanding Japan make a sincere apology and take legal responsibility.
They also expressed concerns that the issue might be forgotten in the future if the history textbooks describe it as a finished deal or reduce its coverage.
The government earlier decided to reduce the ratio of modern history content from the current 50 percent down to 40 percent in the new textbooks.
Regarding concerns that the sex slavery issue might be less addressed accordingly, the Ministry of Education said that it will not reduce coverage of the issue because it was chosen as a "major lesson" for the new curriculum direction set in 2015.
However, the way of describing it may change following the deal, which is likely to be described as having "concluded" the dispute.
Rep. Yoo Ki-hong of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea voiced concerns over the government's possible influence over the content of the sex slavery issue.
He said that if the textbooks are made by private publishers, they might reflect the victims' voices who still demand legal responsibility and compensation from Japan despite the accord between Korea and Japan.
"But as the textbooks are state-authored, the content can be affected by the government," he said. "The books will not be able to carry the victims' opinions if the Japanese government objects.
"We don't know who will participate in the writing, or whether those who wrote the history textbook by Kyohak Publisher were included," the lawmaker said.
The textbook by Kyohak Publisher depicted how the Korean sex slaves were recruited, without mentioning the forcible conscription into sexual servitude. Such content was revised in 2013 following protests from civic groups and government recommendations.
The ministry said it has not yet decided whether to carry the agreement and how to describe the issue on the new books.
Besides the sexual slavery dispute, the ministry has not disclosed any of its writing criteria yet, despite originally intending to announce them in November. It still says it needs more time.
It also did not disclose the list of 46 writers and 16 editors, citing protection of their privacy as well as increasing uncertainty and distrust over the textbooks.
The government has been under pressure to release the identities of the writers after one of them resigned amid controversy over his qualifications. He had taught history for only nine months after working as a commerce teacher for nine years.
Also, Choi Mong-ryong, professor emeritus at Seoul National University, quit the project over a sexual harassment allegation in November. Choi was one of the two leading authors.
 |
| The statue of a girl, a symbol of Korean sex slavery victims during World War II, stands in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. While former sex slaves oppose the Dec. 28 agreement between Korea and Japan on Japan's apology and fund offering to solve the issue, government-authored textbooks are likely to describe the issue according to the deal. / Yonhap |
The former sex slaves and the civic groups supporting them worry that the books may say the issue was resolved through a "final and irreversible" agreement as the government claims, despite their strong opposition to the deal.
In the Dec. 28 agreement, Japan offered an apology and promised a 1 billion yen payment to establish a foundation for the 46 remaining Korean survivors.
However, the victims have protested the agreement, calling it humiliating, demanding Japan make a sincere apology and take legal responsibility.
They also expressed concerns that the issue might be forgotten in the future if the history textbooks describe it as a finished deal or reduce its coverage.
The government earlier decided to reduce the ratio of modern history content from the current 50 percent down to 40 percent in the new textbooks.
Regarding concerns that the sex slavery issue might be less addressed accordingly, the Ministry of Education said that it will not reduce coverage of the issue because it was chosen as a "major lesson" for the new curriculum direction set in 2015.
However, the way of describing it may change following the deal, which is likely to be described as having "concluded" the dispute.
Rep. Yoo Ki-hong of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea voiced concerns over the government's possible influence over the content of the sex slavery issue.
He said that if the textbooks are made by private publishers, they might reflect the victims' voices who still demand legal responsibility and compensation from Japan despite the accord between Korea and Japan.
"But as the textbooks are state-authored, the content can be affected by the government," he said. "The books will not be able to carry the victims' opinions if the Japanese government objects.
"We don't know who will participate in the writing, or whether those who wrote the history textbook by Kyohak Publisher were included," the lawmaker said.
The textbook by Kyohak Publisher depicted how the Korean sex slaves were recruited, without mentioning the forcible conscription into sexual servitude. Such content was revised in 2013 following protests from civic groups and government recommendations.
The ministry said it has not yet decided whether to carry the agreement and how to describe the issue on the new books.
Besides the sexual slavery dispute, the ministry has not disclosed any of its writing criteria yet, despite originally intending to announce them in November. It still says it needs more time.
It also did not disclose the list of 46 writers and 16 editors, citing protection of their privacy as well as increasing uncertainty and distrust over the textbooks.
The government has been under pressure to release the identities of the writers after one of them resigned amid controversy over his qualifications. He had taught history for only nine months after working as a commerce teacher for nine years.
Also, Choi Mong-ryong, professor emeritus at Seoul National University, quit the project over a sexual harassment allegation in November. Choi was one of the two leading authors.
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