Quiz Show in Gwangju for Students Demeans Women's Rights and Independence Movement?

Flood of 'Inappropriate' Complaints to City Office of Education
Schools Issue Official Apologies Amid Growing Controversy

Quiz show questions that appeared at the festival held by Gwangju A High School on the 24th of last month. Screenshot from X (formerly Twitter)

Recently, some middle and high schools in Gwangju have sparked controversy by holding a YouTube-inspired event called the 'Narak Quiz Show' during their festivals. The 'Narak Quiz Show' is a comedy program that puts participants in uncomfortable situations by asking sensitive questions and offering difficult multiple-choice answers. Concerns and complaints were raised that such a program is inappropriate for an educational environment like a school, prompting both schools to issue official apologies.

According to an Asia Economy report on the 13th, Gwangju A High School held the 'Narak Quiz Show' for students during its festival on the 24th of last month.

The controversial question in the quiz show was, "Choose the movement you think is the most meaningless." The answer choices included the March 1st Movement, Gwangju Student Independence Movement, May 18 Democratization Movement, and the women's movement.

It was also confirmed that Gwangju B Girls' Middle School held a similar quiz show during its festival on the 7th.

As videos from these events spread online, criticism mounted that "inappropriate questions were asked, making a mockery of historically and socially significant values," and "the lack of prior review of festival programs reflects poor management by the schools."

Related complaints surged as well. According to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission's 'Big Data at a Glance,' 105 complaints were filed with the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education during the period in question.

One complainant stated, "By asking inappropriate questions, the program made a mockery of values that are historically and socially important," and added, "Instead of stopping students from asking such questions, teachers either condoned or ignored them, worsening the problem." The complainant further emphasized, "Educational institutions are not just places to transmit knowledge, but also spaces to teach proper values and a culture of respect. This incident should not be dismissed as a simple mishap, and responsible action must be taken."

As the controversy grew due to these complaints, both A and B schools issued statements expressing regret and apologizing.

Statement from A High School.

In its statement, A School said, "We sincerely apologize to everyone who felt disappointed or uncomfortable with the comedy-style program," and added, "We will devote even greater effort to democracy, human rights, and peace education to guide our students to become warm-hearted global citizens."

B School explained, "All festival programs were selected through auditions in advance, and teachers thoroughly supervised the preparation and execution process. However, the students involved in this particular program insisted on keeping it completely confidential, which prevented us from identifying and preventing the problem in advance."

B School further stated, "Going forward, our school promises to strengthen education on democratization and human rights, to foster a sense of equality and human rights awareness, and to do our utmost to nurture our students as mature democratic citizens."