Among the new Korean history textbooks set to be used in South Korean middle and high schools next year, one has been criticized for presenting modern history from a conservative perspective. On the issue of Japanese military comfort women, the textbook mainly uses reference materials and practice questions, including one asking, "Explain why we should remember the issue of Japanese military comfort women." It cites excerpts from related books, photos, and illustrations, but the main text offers only a single sentence that indirectly states, "Young women were taken away and forced to live terrible lives," without explicitly mentioning sexual exploitation. /Yonhap News

Among the nine new Korean history textbooks set to be introduced in high schools next year, Hainaim Education’s version is facing criticism for alleged left-leaning bias. Of the textbooks that passed the review process in August, it is the only one that highlights the merits of North Korea’s Chollima Movement from 1956 without addressing its limitations.

The textbook describes the Chollima Movement as a campaign for rapid post-war recovery and economic growth, expanding into all areas of life, including culture, ideology, and morality. However, unlike other textbooks that note the movement’s role in solidifying North Korea’s dictatorship and its forced mobilization tactics, Hainaim Education’s version omits these critical points. The textbook discusses South Korea’s Saemaul Movement, noting criticisms that it helped justify the Yushin regime, thus presenting both positive and negative aspects. It also portrays North Korea’s nuclear weapons development as an attempt to negotiate with the U.S. for regime security, reflecting North Korea’s position without critique.

North Korean regime founder Kim Il-sung’s Chollima Movement, launched after the Korean War, was a campaign of forced labor and sacrifice, epitomized by slogans like “See the morning star” and “Dig a thousand shovels, straighten your back once.” It pushed citizens to work harder and longer without material rewards, funding, or technological support. While it showed brief results, it ultimately failed, leading to the Arduous March and mass defections. Despite this, Kim Jong-un continues to exploit the people through the so-called Mallima Movement.

In contrast, South Korea’s Saemaul Movement has been widely studied and adopted by many developing nations as a model for rural development. Highlighting only North Korea’s positive aspects while criticizing South Korea is a clear example of left-leaning bias. It is hard to tell if the authors truly see history this way or if they are deceiving even themselves. The persistent effort to feed false narratives to young minds raises serious questions.