A controversy of Ideological bias on Korean history textbook, that had become serious in the Lee Meong-bak Administration, was settled when the Park geun-hye Administration determined for the government-designate the middle school and high school hist...
A controversy of Ideological bias on Korean history textbook, that had become serious in the Lee Meong-bak Administration, was settled when the Park geun-hye Administration determined for the government-designate the middle school and high school history textbook on November 3, 2015. This has happened for the first time in six years, since the nation shifted from the government-designated textbook system to government-approved system.
Textbook publication system, especially History textbook, has been socially controversial as the government or the leading group changes because of its importance in that the system directly affects elementary and middle school education. Also as it becomes more controversial, more dynamically it developed with increased number of actors interested and their interaction, engaging in the tug-of-war between Korean history textbook's government-designation and government-authorization. However, most of the former studies on history textbook publication system were about analysis on the publication system, legal research, and comparative study, all from the pedagogical aspect. Therefore, this research is significant in that it explains overall process of policy changes in textbook publication system.
The purposes of this study are these: First, to figure out external factors which influenced the policy subsystem. Second, to figure out the stream of the problems, politics, policy and what made them to be coupled. Third, to figure out advocacy coalition's belief structure, resources and strategies in the policy process. Fourth, to figure out who was the policy entrepreneurs at the overall policy-making process and what was their role in there. Lastly, to figure out the features of policy-making process involved in the textbook publication system and suggest implications on the ideological problems about future policies.
For those, this study selected stream of problems ‧ policy ‧ politics, trigger points, policy entrepreneurs, relatively-and-dynamics' external variables, advocacy coalition and belief systems as its analysis components through combined model of Multiple Steam and Advocacy Coalition Framework. Also it make use of newspaper articles, government reports, press releases, Statistics Korea's statistical data and academic materials, published from January 1, 2002 to November 3, 2015.
This study's analysis results are these: First, three stream of Multiple Stream occurred not naturally but by certain events. In this case, the stream of problems, policy, and politics occurred by the 7th Curriculum, which switched screening system of Korean history textbooks to be government-designated. Second, the outcome of advocacy coalition's conflict and competition was considerably influenced, not by the degree of shared belief system but by the possess of political resources. Third, not only coupling but also the policy entrepreneurs role on the overall policy-outputs process was exceedingly significant. In this case, the policy entrepreneurs is President Park, Geun-hye and she set forth her opinions through Cabinet meeting, keynote address at the National Assembly and New Year's address. Also, by personnel realignment, she exercised her influence on the organizations related with textbook publication.
This study's theoretical and political implications are these: First, it ascertained the utility of the model which is combined multiple stream with advocacy coalition framework. Second, it also ascertained the change of dominant coalition in political system, which is the dynamic external variable, was the main factor in coupling those three stream mentioned above. Third, it was able to verify the importance of policy entrepreneurs role in the case's overall process. Fourth, the argument over Korean history textbook's government-designation was concluded not by collecting public opinion or by compromise between two opposing advocacy coalitions but by the legislation of presidential decree. Finally, like this case, when conflict occurs from the policy related with the majority of citizens, it seems necessary to figure out rational solutions.