'5·18' Removed from New Curriculum... Opposition Party Condemns as "Democracy Backslide"

'5·18 Minju화 Movement' Removed from Entire Elementary, Middle, and High School Curriculums
"Serious Damage to Democracy"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] The Democratic Party of Korea is strongly protesting the removal of the term '5·18 Democratic Uprising' from the recently revised curriculum.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 4th, opposition party education committee members, including Kang Deuk-gu of the National Assembly's Education Committee, held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office, stating, "The deletion of the '5·18 Democratic Uprising' is a regression of democracy in the Republic of Korea," and "We strongly urge that the 2022 revised curriculum and textbook work include the '5·18 Democratic Uprising' as much as possible." A total of 58 Democratic Party lawmakers signed the press release that day.

In the press release, they recalled President Yoon Suk-yeol’s remarks at the 42nd anniversary '5·18 Democratic Uprising Commemoration Ceremony' held in Gwangju last year with lawmakers from the People Power Party, where he said, "The 5·18 Democratic Uprising is the cornerstone of national unity."

Assemblyman Kim Young-ho pointed out, "The Ministry of Education under the Yoon administration shamelessly cut out the 5·18 Democratic Uprising from the 2022 revised curriculum," adding, "The participatory curriculum that had been gradually prepared was abruptly overturned to suit the tastes of the regime after the Yoon government took office."

Assemblyman Seo Young-seok criticized, "Korean democracy has developed based on constitutional values through the establishment of the Republic of Korea, the April 19 Revolution, the 5·18 Democratic Uprising, and the June Democratic Uprising," and added, "However, among these, only the '5·18 Democratic Uprising' was not included anywhere in the 2022 revised social studies curriculum for elementary, middle, and high schools."

Assemblyman Kim Hong-gul also stated, "All elementary, middle, and high school students nationwide must be guaranteed the right to learn about the history and process of democratization, which is the foundation of today’s Republic of Korea, and to explore democracy," and urged, "The government must stop the regression of the curriculum now and strongly urge that the 5·18 Democratic Uprising be included as much as possible in the 2022 revised curriculum and the upcoming textbook work."