VANK Questions “Are Korean World History Textbooks Merely Spokespersons for Imperial Powers?” – Raises Issue with Ministry of Education

VANK has raised concerns with the Ministry of Education about Eurocentric and distorted portrayals of Africa in Korean high school world history textbooks. Through its “Correcting African Misrepresentation in Textbooks” campaign, VANK expanded its efforts from elementary and middle schools to high schools, emphasizing the need for a balanced global perspective and global citizenship education.

According to VANK’s analysis of 2022 revised textbooks (MiraeN, Chunjae Education, Visang Education), two major issues stand out:

  1. Africa’s civilizations, exploitation, and suffering during the Age of Exploration are barely mentioned, while European achievements are emphasized.
  2. The slave trade is presented as an ordinary economic activity, obscuring its brutality and human rights violations.

VANK is urging the Ministry to review and revise these textbooks, involving experts, civic groups, and African stakeholders to include diverse and accurate perspectives. As part of the campaign, VANK released a poster with the bold question: “Are Korean World History Textbooks Merely Spokespersons for Imperial Powers?” and is running a petition through its “Woollim” policy platform to push for these changes.

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