Three Copies of "The Story of Syngman Rhee" Found at One Gwangju Elementary School
Purchased Without Proper Procedures...
Investigation Extended to Teachers Who Wrote Recommendations
Lee Jungseon, Superintendent of the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education, on August 11 acknowledged and apologized for the fact that books at the center of a historical distortion controversy had been stocked in some schools.
In a statement released the previous day, Superintendent Lee said, "We have confirmed that books related to 'Reebak School' that distort history were stocked in some schools. I deeply apologize to the educational community and citizens." He added, "We recognize the seriousness of the issue and will conduct a thorough investigation into how the books were purchased and stocked, as well as the process by which recommendations for the books were written."
In July, the city office of education conducted a comprehensive survey of all schools in the district regarding the presence of the controversial book 'The Story of President Syngman Rhee, the Founder of the Nation, as Told by a Mother,' which had been used as a Reebak School textbook. The survey found that one elementary school possessed three copies of the book, which had been purchased by a regular teacher then employed at the school, using school project funds without following the official book selection process. It was also revealed that two middle school teachers in the Gwangju area had written recommendations for the book.
The book in question was completely discarded on August 7 after review by the school's library management committee. The city office of education plans to investigate whether proper procedures were followed in selecting and purchasing the book, the appropriateness of project fund use, the circumstances under which the recommendations were written, and their relevance to the teachers' official duties. If any violations or improper cases are identified, actions will be taken in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.
Additionally, to prevent recurrence, the office announced measures including ensuring the neutrality of school library management committees, strengthening harmful content review standards for material purchases, expanding the scope of review for material registration, providing training for teachers to counter historical distortion, supporting student history club activities, and enhancing the advisory role of the History and Culture Education Committee.
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