President Lee's Mention of 'Hwanppa' Sparks Controversy... Presidential Office Clarifies: "No Instruction for Research or Review"

Presidential Office: "Institutions researching history should have clear positions"
Presidential Office: "The President was asking whether researchers have established their perspectives"
Opposition parties continue criticism over mention of "Hwanda

The Presidential Office explained regarding President Lee Jaemyung's mention of "Hwandangogi" during a briefing from the Northeast Asian History Foundation on December 12, stating, "If there is an ongoing controversy, it needs to be addressed. Institutions researching history should have their own clear positions." The office also emphasized that President Lee has never resolved issues by avoiding them.

Yonhap News Agency

On December 14, Kim Namjun, spokesperson for the Presidential Office, responded to a question during a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office about the background of President Lee's mention of "Hwandangogi" and the ensuing controversy. "Hwandangogi" is a book said to cover the era of Dangun Gojoseon, reportedly written by Gye Yeonsu in 1911. Most historians consider it a "forgery," but some view it as genuine history and conduct research based on it.

Spokesperson Kim further explained, "The perspective from which history is viewed is important, and this can lead to differences in opinion. The President was asking whether historical researchers have established their own historical perspectives. This reflects a variety of critical viewpoints, and the intention was to encourage researchers to fulfill their roles based on a clear research philosophy."

Amid President Lee's mention of "Hwandangogi," opposition parties continued their criticism over the weekend. Kim Eunhye, a member of the People Power Party, remarked, "Calling 'Hwandangogi' a matter of perspective is like claiming Snow White was a real person. While the President is free to believe whatever he wants, it is dangerous to impose his personal convictions on others."

Lee Junseok, leader of the Reform New Party, also criticized on Facebook, saying, "After a president who believes in election fraud, now we have a president who accepts 'Hwandangogi.' This is concerning for South Korea. If 'Hwandangogi' counts as a historical document, then so does The Lord of the Rings."

In response, Spokesperson Kim issued a separate statement after the briefing, clarifying, "President Lee's remarks about 'Hwandangogi' during the Northeast Asian History Foundation's briefing do not indicate agreement with those claims, nor did he instruct any research or review on the matter."

Previously, on December 12, President Lee asked Park Jihyang, Chairperson of the Northeast Asian History Foundation, "There seems to be some controversy among 'Hwanppa' (supporters of Hwandangogi) regarding history education. Does the foundation not conduct research on ancient history?" When Chairperson Park replied, "The theories of professional researchers are far more convincing," President Lee concluded, "It seems there are fundamental differences in perspective and stance when it comes to viewing history. This is a matter of concern," and wrapped up the briefing.