Academy of Korean Studies Distributes 'Overview of Korean Economic History'
Glorifying Japanese Colonial Rule, June Democratic Uprising, and Claims of Export Decline
An organization supporting victims of forced mobilization during the Japanese occupation has called for the resignation of Professor Kim Jaeho of Chonnam National University and the discontinuation of a publication, after a book containing claims that "the Republic of Korea achieved rapid industrialization and economic growth during the Japanese colonial era" was published through an institution under the Ministry of Education.
On the 2nd, four groups including a civic organization issued a statement of condemnation, saying, "We are shocked by the contents of the English-language original edition of 'Overview of Korean Economic History,' distributed worldwide last November by the Academy of Korean Studies, a public institution under the Ministry of Education." They added, "The fact that the author of this book is Professor Kim Jaeho of Chonnam National University is a source of deep distress for the citizens of Gwangju and Jeonnam. According to Professor Kim's argument, are we to believe that Korea should not have been liberated and should have remained a Japanese colony?"
The organizations stated, "To claim that the Japanese colonial period was beneficial is to suggest, conversely, that patriots like Ahn Junggeun, Yun Bonggil, and Lee Bongchang, who sacrificed their lives for the nation's independence, were not righteous independence activists but people who did something 'crazy' to disrupt the so-called good times." "The contents regarding modern history are equally absurd. The book claims that 'the democratization of 1987 destroyed the institutional framework that enabled rapid economic growth, resulting in weakened export competitiveness.' If this claim is to be believed, should Korea have remained under the military dictatorships of Park Chunghee, Chun Doohwan, and Roh Taewoo?" they retorted.
They further stated, "What is even more outrageous is that these arguments, which glorify colonial rule and defend the developmental dictatorship of military regimes, are being produced and distributed using taxpayers' money." They pointed out, "Such bizarre behavior was already foreseen when Yoon Sukyeol's administration last year appointed pro-Japanese New Right figures as heads of national research institutes and the Independence Hall of Korea."
They also added, "The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs this year selected 12 cases for 'Independence Movement of the Month,' but conspicuously omitted representative overseas independence movements such as the deeds of Ahn Junggeun, Yun Bonggil, Lee Bongchang, and the Battle of Cheongsanri, while including events involving pro-Japanese figures like Kim Hwalran and Kim Seongsu." They demanded, "Kim Naknyeon, president of the Academy of Korean Studies, and author Kim Jaeho of Chonnam National University must immediately resign, and the distributed books must be immediately collected and destroyed."
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