[Alternative history] A scandal about South Korea’s history: Who is telling the facts?

I happened to watch a video[1] today about a legal case that involves in two parties, Ministry of Education of South Korea and Inha University Gojoseon Research Institute[2]. It is very interesting because of the reactions from the current academia of Korean history discipline in South Korea though I am not familiar with affairs of South Korea since 2000 . I have been living other countries than South Korea since 2000. However, as I was born and spent most of my childhood and young adult life in South Korea, I am well aware of the history of South Korea that is taught in the public education system which I was in. Probably, most people outside of South Korea, who have not lived or been inside its public education system, may not understand why this legal case is critical for the “identity” of current state of Republic of Korea (ROK: South Korea) which was founded after the World War 2 (WW2).

The summary of the above legal case is following from what I learned in the video.

-In 2015, the Ministry of ROK (finally) wanted to translate history books created by Governor-General of Chosen (Joseon) in 1920s. It published the history of Chosen in 1938 with a big series of books in Japanese language. The Governor-General of Chosen (GGC) is considered as a Japanese agency for the colonisation of Great Han Empire (대한제국), which used to be Chosen and changed its name in 1897. =>This is what I was taught in ROK’s public school.

-After WW2, Great Han Empire became Great Han People’s Republic (대한민국), which is the formal name of ROK in Korean that was formally founded in 1948. Until 2015, the history books published by GGC were not translated or studied. Under the former president of Park Geun-hye in 2015, finally the Ministry of Education decided to translate and study these books, which have been considered as fake history books that Japan intentionally created for easier colonisation of Great Han Empire that Japan annexed in 1910.

-When Park’s government looked for any academic research centre to begin translation project, most academia from Korean history discipline was against the project. Even though the goal of this project was to learn what actually GGC wrote as the history of Chosen. Only two academic research centre applied, then Inha University Gojoseon Research Institute (IUGRI) was appointed for the translation project. =>in 2016, the former president of Park Geun-hye was impeached.

-The translation project was completed in 2019 with 46 books of translated books, which were submitted to the Ministry of Education. However, recently, the Ministry of Education announced that these books were not acceptable and could not be published. Additionally, the researchers who were involved in this project were banned from involving in any government-funded research projects for 5 years. The Ministry of Education also order the researchers to return the project grants back to the Ministry of Education. Thus, the legal case between the research institution and the Ministry of Education has begun.

-The judge’s decision of this case will be announced at 2:10 pm on the 17th of May 2024.

People are perplexed why the academia and the Ministry of Education are against releasing the translated books. Don’t they want to know what is inside those books that were created by GGC? People have been told by academia and the government that these books were considered as fake history fabricated by Japan for colonisation. But, it turned out that there are actually no fully translated books by GGC. How come for about 70 years?

Other than mainstream academia in Korean history, there are people who call themselves nonmainstream researchers that studies Korean history in very different perspective from the mainstream academia. Of course, these nonmainstream researchers are not formally accepted in the mainstream academia. But, the nonmainstream researchers have been calling the mainstream academia as followers of GGC’s fabricated history. Thus, here comes a dilemma to the mainstream academia when the translated GGC history books are released.

If the history of GGC’s translated books are the same as the history by mainstream academia, nonacademia researchers’ comments about mainstream academia is confirmed. If the history of GGC’s translated books are the same as the history by nonmainstream researchers, then there are huge problems in the identity of ROK itself because the history by nonmainstream researchers are quite grandiose compared to the history by mainstream academia.

People in ROK have been told that GGC and Japan tried to erase the grandiose history of Korean (the descendants of Chosen) for the colonisation of Chosen, which was the former name of the Great Han Empire. But, if GGC’s history of Chosen matches to the history by nonmainstream researchers, then the narratives by academia and government of ROK about GGC and Japan will turn out to be lies. It will provide evidence that actually GGC and Japan was the “grandiose” Chosen and that Great Han Empire (대한제국) and Great Han People’s Republic (대한민국) were and are the ones who has been trying to colonise the part of Japan, which is the grandiose Chosen. What a dilemma!

[Translated books by GGC] = [History by mainstream academia] ->->->->->-> ->coloniser’s followers with fake history

[[Translated books by GGC] = [History by nonmainstream researchers] ->->->->Why does Imperial Japan which wanted to colonise Chosen (former Great Han Empire) write a grandiose history of Chosen???

If the judge decides not to release the translated books, which can be quite perplexing to many people, then this will create all the suspicions to ROK, which has been claiming to be a victim of Japan’s Imperialism. Which one is worse, confirming that mainstream academia reiterates the fabricated belittled GGC’s version of history or ROK is a scammer that has been trying to “eat” not just a part of Japan’s territory, but also Japan’s history as Chosen?

It is interesting that two countries which were founded after WW2 are having issues currently. Israel is having conflicts with people who were originally resided inside the land where the State Israel is currently standing. Republic of Korea (South Korea) is having scandals about its history. Lots of Japanese people were residing inside the Korean peninsula before ROK was formally recognised internationally. Those Japanese people left either voluntarily or involuntarily. Is ROK the successful version of the current State of Israel by any chance? Do you know that the formal name of North Korea is People’s Republic of Korea in English, but in Korean, it is 조선민주주의인민공화국 (Chosen Democratic People’s Republic)? Why do they use the word Korea (고려) which was defeated by Chosen and disappeared in 1400s? Well, at least this is what I was taught in public school when I was in ROK.

[1]매림 역사 문화 TV, “[전파용] 봉인해제된 “조선총독부 조선사”, 다시 봉인하려는 교육부. 도대체 무슨 일이? (인하대고조선연구소와 교육부행정소송, 1차 행정소송일자 공지), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5nUEkGA2t8

[2] http://joseon.mir9.co.kr/laboratory/business/