This study is dealing with the comparison among 6 kinds of textbook published in the period of U.S. Military Government in Korea, especially in the aspect of the structure and the context. Then, based on that, I tried to find out how the historical i...
This study is dealing with the comparison among 6 kinds of textbook published in the period of U.S. Military Government in Korea, especially in the aspect of the structure and the context. Then, based on that, I tried to find out how the historical idea of writers reflects on the textbooks. Also, I will discuss the status of their historical perception shown in the textbook.
After Korea was liberated from Japan, the biggest purpose of education is to get rid of remaining bad customs and to restore our ethnic legitimacy as well. And in accordance with that, U.S. educational policy was re-organized and implemented for that purpose to be achieved. First of all, Education of national language and national history was firstly normalized. So, it was an urgent problem to publish textbooks used in classes for national language and national history.
In this study, following items are taken as examples to be analyzed. 『KookSa-KyoBon』published by JinDan-HakHwae, Sae-KukSa-KyoBon by LeeByeong-Do,『JoongDeung-Kuksa』byChoiNam-Seon,『JoongDeung-ChoSeon-YeokSa』by Hwang Eui-Don, 『ChoSeong-YeokSa』 by Kim Sung-Chil, 『JoongDeung-KukSa』 by Son Jin-Tae. I selected 8 themes from the parts which shows different historical perception. And, by analysing those comparisons, I will present something in common and differences as well.
Especially for the part of dealing with 'DanKoon and GoChoSeon', I suggest specific items about 'DanGoon ShinHwa', in fact, which is not covered on other textbooks. To avoid colonial view of history, the legend of DanGoon is well described as a evidence that certifies our ethnic origin back from about 4000 years ago.
There are two different ways to perceive specific period when after the unification of 3 nations, Shilla, BaekJe, GoGuRyeo. Which also leads the differences in ways of description on the history textbooks. It was only Lee, ByeongDo and Hwang, EuiDon who tried to use a term 'Period of North and South Dynasties' in order to avoid the colonial view of history.
Throughout the part of describing 'foreign struggle corp', we can find out whether we, korean have been independent participants who lead the development of Korean History. The Koryo Dynasty’s Struggle against Mongolia and 3.1 Independence Movement agains Japan will be dealt on this study. Japan considered the historical facts that we had struggled against other nations several times as an evidence that supports "Heteronomy Theory" about korean history. and also considered it as our limitation that we ha d to face in our development stage.
Not overcoming the theory of heteronomy, remaining ideas of it could be found even in the textbook published in the period of U.S. Military Government. It was only 1 textbook out of 6 that emphasizes our independency and describes it importantly compared to others. It was written by Son, Jin-Tae
Depending on the descriptive attitude toward ‘faction politics’, it can be interpreted what historical perception for Chosun history a writer of a book had. Every 6 text books uses a term 'party strife'. Which means writers perceived 'faction politics’ as a bad aspect of Chosun History estimating it in a negative way. But, there are only two, JinDan-HakHwae and Son, Jin-Tae who insist that party strife should be stated in a affirmative way.
Even though textbooks published in U.S. Military Government period show the effort to overcome colonial history, those has a limitation in that the books only tried to overcome Heteronomy theory not with 'Identity theory' which is actually the prime idea of historical view of colonization. Actual contradiction against Identity theory, was established by Social-economy historians in 1960's. It can be also understood in that there were no other history textbooks by Social-economy historians.
By taking a look at descriptions of textbooks in the period U.S Military Government, about every single themes, different perceptions of writers could be found.
Being estimated that they supported Japan as ‘Positivism History Line’, they showed their effort to overcome historical view of colonization after Korea was liberated. Those facts are revealed in textbooks they published.
Hwang Eui-don, Choi Nam-seon, Kim Seong-chil as representatives of cultural history, thought that cultural functions could develop history. Types are too vary to find out their features in common.
Son, Jin-Tae reflected his 'New Nationalism' historical perception on entire textbooks he wrote. He tried not only to describe relations between our nation and others importantly but also, to show our historical status in international relations
From the textbooks used right after liberation of korea from japan, we could see that there was an effort to overcome historical view of colonization, even if it didn't fully clean up the vestiges of colonial period. For contemporary history education, it can be a first step to analyze the one implemented in U.S. Military Government period.