South Korean Opposition Party NPAD Reportedly Accuses Ministry Of Education Of Setting Up ‘Secret’ Task Force To Continue With State-Controlled History Books For Secondary Students

The New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) on Sunday reportedly accused South Korea's Ministry of Education of creating a "secret" task force to continue with the plan to issue state-controlled history textbooks.

Asia Times noted Oct. 26 that the South Korean opposition party said the "secret" task force is allegedly in-charge of dealing with the controversies surrounding the plan of the South Korean government to write state-issued history textbooks in school year 2017.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education denied the allegation that is has set up a task force to push through with state-issued history textbooks for secondary students.

"It is totally wrong to mention a secret organization when the Ministry of Education has set up an organization within the boundaries of the public budget," an official from the Ministry of Education said.

The official added that "it is a customary to temporarily set up such a team."

On the other hand, NPAD lawmakers demand an appropriate parliamentary standing committee to investigate the notions revolving the task force.

The opposition party also claims that the team involves 20 officials to examine the media, civic groups, teachers, as well as parents.

In addition, the ruling Saenuri Party insisted that the South Korean government should take legal actions against the NPAD lawmakers who visited the team's office on Monday and demanded to let them in.

"The party officially demanded Education Minister Hwang Woo Yea take legal actions against the obstruction of business (by NPAD lawmakers)," Rep. Cho Won Jin said.

The South Korean government issued state-controlled history textbooks in 1974. The responsibility of authoring and publishing history textbooks was handed over to private publishers in 2011.

Earlier this month, the government reintroduced the plan to author a single set of history books for secondary students, as reported by Yonhap News Agency on Oct. 12.

"It was an inevitable choice for the government to correct historical factual errors and to end social controversies derived from ideological bias," Education Minister Hwang Woo Yea said during a press conference.

He went on, "The government will write history textbooks based on objective facts so that the youth can have balanced view of history."