New Right "Lee Park School" Textbook Found in School Libraries

677 Copies Placed in Elementary, Middle, and High School Libraries Nationwide
Yeosu-Suncheon Massacre Described as "Process of Treating Cancer Cells"
Excessive Glorification of Syngman Rhee and Other Far-Right Historical Perspectives
Kim Moonsoo: "The Ministry of Education Must Prepare Countermeasures"

Moonsoo Kim, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

There are growing calls for the Ministry of Education to take action after it was found that the teacher training textbook for "Lee Park School," which has been criticized for its far-right historical perspective, was discovered in elementary, middle, and high school libraries nationwide.

On July 10, Moonsoo Kim, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Suncheon, Gwangyang, Gokseong, and Gurye-gap in South Jeolla Province), stated during the Lee Park School hearing that 677 copies of the book "The Story of President Syngman Rhee, the Founding President, as Told by Mom," which was used as a Lee Park School textbook, are currently available in school libraries across the country.

"The Story of President Syngman Rhee, the Founding President, as Told by Mom" contains far-right New Right claims. It refers to the Yeosu-Suncheon 10·19 Incident as a "rebellion" and compares the massacres that occurred at the time to "the process of killing healthy cells to treat cancer in cancer patients." Additionally, it asserts that the establishment of the Republic of Korea took place on August 15, 1948, directly echoing the National Foundation Day narrative promoted by the New Right.

The excessive glorification of President Syngman Rhee is also problematic. The appointment of pro-Japanese police officers is rationalized by claiming that people with administrative experience were selected due to extreme left-right conflict. The book also argues that the 4·5 Amendment laid the foundation for today's freedom and prosperity. In a comic strip featuring a conversation between a child and a mother, it is even stated, "If it weren't for President Syngman Rhee, we would have been communized like North Korea, following the Soviet Union and China."

Currently, there are 677 copies of this book in elementary, middle, and high school libraries nationwide, with 131 copies in schools in Seoul, 94 in South Gyeongsang Province, 92 in Gyeonggi Province, and 90 in Busan.

Kim stated, "The New Right's biased historical perspective has infiltrated the daily lives of young children," and urged, "The Ministry of Education must take direct action to ensure that far-right historical perspectives can no longer reach our children."