Jini says: This news has been on my radar for a while now not only because it’s one of the biggest issues in Korea right now but also because I was at the actual school where some of its leading faculty are on the forefront of this history textbook renationalization effort. It’s pretty cool to be able to recognize several names from the list of professors below, but also surprised that I don’t see some names that I think should be on here… Maybe they just didn’t get the memo?

Okay, from here on out is the news article that I copied and pasted from Dr. Eugene Park’s social media post:

A statement by 210 overseas (outside South Korea) university/college faculty members whose research and teaching involve Korea.
한국 관련 연구, 강의를 맡고 있는 해외 대학 교수 및 강사 210명의 성명서입니다.

Statement in Support of Korean Historians’ Protest against Planned Renationalization of History Textbooks
한국 역사학자들의 역사교과서 국정화 반대를 지지하는 성명서

We, the undersigned, issue this statement to express our concern at the plan of the government of the Republic of Korea (“Korea” hereafter) to replace current Korean history textbooks with government-issued ones. As overseas university and college professors who conduct research and teach in fields related to Korean history, we cannot stress strongly enough that a democratic country should allow national history textbooks produced by a free and open debate, which acknowledge a diversity of ideas and interpretations, and are informed by the research of professional historians. The current plan to replace Korean history textbooks continues government policies in recent years that have witnessed a retreat away from the principles of free speech and academic freedom. The past cannot be undone, but history is permanently changing as new questions are asked. History is not an exact science, but the aggregate of insights produced by professional historians. Imposing a single interpretation does not create ‘correct’ history, only the methodologically proper execution of historical research does. Just as a democratic society accepts differences of opinion, so too should history education reflect the multiplicity of historical experiences. In a democratic society, history should not be partisan but inclusive and respectful of all the constituent parts of society. Introducing students to various perspectives on Korean history teaches them the complexity of the past and sharpens their critical awareness so as to make them responsible citizens of the Republic of Korea.

We, the undersigned, wish to emphasize that the legitimacy of the Republic of Korea and its stature as a major player in the global political economy are self-evident to Koreans and to outside observers alike. The government’s plan to mandate its own Korean history textbooks not only tarnishes Korea’s international standing as a democratic country, it also weakens Korea’s moral standing in the regional dispute over Japanese government historical revisionism.

We, the undersigned professors of Korean Studies at universities and colleges overseas, urge the Korean government to refrain from dictating the content of history textbooks and to work to depoliticize history education by promoting tolerance towards a multiplicity of views. By extension, we also would hope that the Korean government continues to respect academic freedom and thus refrain from interfering in the process of knowledge production and propagation by Korean Studies professors, both in and outside Korea. Many outside Korea are monitoring the ongoing textbook controversy, and it is our sincerest hope that the Korean government will act in a way befitting Korea’s global stature in the twenty-first century.

우리는 대한민국(이하 한국) 정부의 역사교과서 국정화 계획을 우려하며 이 성명서를 발표합니다. 우리는 해외 대학에서 한국사 관련 연구와 강의를 하고 있는 교수들입니다. 우리는 민주주의 국가에서의 역사교과서는 다양한 의견과 분석을 존중하고, 자유로운 토론과 전문 역사학자들의 연구를 바탕으로 만들어져야 한다고 믿습니다. 현재 진행되고 있는 한국정부의 국정화 계획은 지난 몇년 간 자유로운 발언의 기회와 학문공동체의 자유를 억압해 온 정부 정책들의 연장선상에 있다고 봅니다. 과거는 결코 돌이킬 수 없습니다. 그러나 역사서술은 새로운 질문들이 제기되면서 계속 변화해 갑니다. 역사는 정밀한 과학과 다릅니다. 역사는 전문 역사학자들의 다양한 통찰력을 바탕으로 한 것입니다. 역사에 단일한 해석을 적용해서 ‘올바른’ 역사를 만들 수는 없습니다.

민주주의에 기반한 사회에서 역사는 특정 소수의 입장만 반영하는 것이 아니라 사회의 다양한 구성원들의 경험을 포괄해야만 합니다. 한국사에 대한 다양한 시각을 학생들에게 소개함으로써, 학생들은 과거의 역사가 결코 단순하지 않다는 것을 배울 수 있고 비판적으로 사고할 수 있는 능력을 키워 궁극적으로 소신있는 한국의 시민으로 성장할 수 있습니다.

우리는 한국의 역사적 정통성과 함께 세계 정치경제에서 주요한 역할을 하고 있는 한국의 위상이 한국인은 물론 해외에 있는 관찰자들에게도 자명하다는 것을 강조하고자 합니다. 정부의 국정교과서 계획은 민주국가로서 인정받은 한국의 국제적 명성에 악영향을 미칠 것입니다. 또한 그것은 일본 정부의 역사 수정주의를 둘러싼 지역 내부의 분쟁에서 한국의 도덕적 기반을 약화시킬 것입니다.

해외 대학의 한국학 교수들인 우리 서명자들은 한국정부가 역사교과서의 내용을 전유하는 것을 그만 두고, 다양한 견해들을 포용할 수 있는 방향으로 나아가 역사교육의 탈정치화에 힘써주기를 촉구합니다. 또한, 우리는 한국정부가 학문공동체의 자유를 존중하고 국내외의 한국학 교수들의 지식생산과 보급에 개입하지 않기를 바랍니다. 한국 바깥에서 많은 사람들이 현재 국정교과서 논쟁을 지켜보고 있습니다. 우리는 한국정부가 21세기 세계 속의 한국의 위상에 걸맞는 방식으로 이 문제를 해결하기를 간곡히 바랍니다.

Signatories listed in press release (204, in surname alphabetical order)
보도자료에 수록된 서명자(204명, 성 알파벳 순)

Avram Agov (Langara College)
Ji-Hyun Ahn (University of Washington, Tacoma)
Juhn Ahn (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor)
Yonson Ahn (University of Frankfurt)
Sergei Alkin (Novosibirsk State University)
Jong Chol An (University of Tübingen)
Jinsoo An (University of California, Berkeley)
Charles Armstrong (Columbia University)
Donald L. Baker (University of British Columbia)
Jonathan W. Best (Wesleyan University)
Adam Bohnet (King’s University College at Western University)
Gregg Brazinsky (George Washington University)
Remco Breuker (Leiden University)
Antonetta L. Bruno (Sapienza University of Rome)
Soo-yong Byun (Pennsylvania State University)
Paul S. Cha (University of Hong Kong)
Vipan Chandra (Wheaton College)
Kornel Chang (Rutgers University, Newark)
Seung-Eun Chang (University of California, Berkeley)
Erica Cho (University of California, San Diego)
Haewon Cho (University of Pennsylvania)
Hangtae Cho (University of Minnesota)
Heekyoung Cho (University of Washington)
Hichang Cho (National University of Singapore)
Yonjoo Cho (Indiana University)
Yong-ho Choe (University of Hawai‘i)
Ellie Choi (Cornell University)
Hyaeweol Choi (Australian National University)
Jungbong Choi (New York University)
Yoonsun Choi (University of Chicago)
Hae Yeon Choo (University of Toronto)
Simone Chun (Northeastern University)
Steven Chung (Princeton University)
Donald Clark (Trinity University)
Bruce Cumings (University of Chicago)
Koen De Ceuster (Leiden University)
Jerome de Wit (University of Tübingen)
Alain Delissen (EHESS, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres)
John P. DiMoia (National University of Singapore)
Liora Sarfati Donskoy (Tel Aviv University)
Jamie Doucette (University of Manchester)
Alexis Dudden (University of Connecticut)
John Duncan (University of California, Los Angeles)
Carter J. Eckert (Harvard University)
Stephen Epstein (Victoria University of Wellington)
Antonio Fiori (University of Bologna)
Rüdiger Frank (University of Vienna)
Kevin Gray (University Sussex)
James H. Grayson (University of Sheffield)
Laam Hae (York University)
Ju Hui Judy Han (University of Toronto)
Kwangsoo Han (Community College of Baltimore County)
Martin Hart-Landsberg (Lewis and Clark College)
Todd Henry (University of California, San Diego)
Jim E. Hoare (SOAS, University of London)
Christine Hong (University of California, Santa Cruz)
Mickey Hong (Los Angeles City College)
Charlotte Horlyck (SOAS, University of London)
Theodore Hughes (Columbia University)
Nam-lin Hur (University of British Columbia)
Dongyoun Hwang (Soka University of America)
Kyung Moon Hwang (University of Southern California)
Ryota Ishikawa (Ritsumeikan University)
Andrew David Jackson (University of Copenhagen)
Roger L. Janelli (Indiana University)
Areum Jeong (University of California, Los Angeles)
Kelly Yoojeong Jeong (University of California, Riverside)
Dal Yong Jin (Simon Fraser University)
Ji-Yeon O. Jo (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
Ji-Young Jung (University of Pennsylvania)
Jiwook Jung (National University of Singapore)
Kyungja Jung (University of Technology, Sydney)
Moon-Ho Jung (University of Washington)
Jennifer Jung-Kim (University of California, Los Angeles)
Hong Kal (York University)
George L. Kallander (Syracuse University)
Hugh Kang (University of Hawai‘i)
Inkyu Kang (Pennsylvania State University)
Jaeho Kang (SOAS, University of London)
Jiyeon Kang (University of Iowa)
Anders Karlsson (SOAS, University of London)
George Katsiaficas (Wentworth Institute of Technology)
Takaya Kawase (Kyoto Prefectural University)
Laurel Kendall (Columbia University)
Changhyun Kim (Singapore Management University)
Cheehyung Harrison Kim (University of Missouri)
Daeyeol Kim (INaLCO, Université Sorbonne Paris Cité)
Daniel Y. Kim (Brown University)
Eleana Kim (University of California, Irvine)
Heeyon Kim (National University of Singapore)
Hongkyung Kim (State University of New York, Stony Brook)
Hui-yeon Kim (INaLCO, Université Sorbonne Paris Cité)
Immanuel Kim (Binghamton University)
Jaeeun Kim (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor)
Janice Kim (York University)
Jina Kim (Smith College)
Jisoo Kim (George Washington University)
Jungwon Kim (Columbia University)
Kyu Hyun Kim (University of California, Davis)
Kyung Hyun Kim (University of California, Irvine)
Minju Kim (Claremont McKenna College)
Minku Kim (Chinese University of Hong Kong)
Monica Kim (New York University)
Samuel S. Kim (Columbia University)
Sangbok Kim (University of Colorado, Boulder)
Seon Mi Kim (Ramapo College of New Jersey)
Sonja Kim (Binghamton University)
Soohee Kim (University of Washington)
Su Yun Kim (University of Hong Kong)
Sun-Chul Kim (Emory University)
Sun Joo Kim (Harvard University)
Suntae Kim (Boston College)
Suzy Kim (Rutgers University)
Thomas P. Kim (Scripps College)
Wooksoo Kim (University at Buffalo, State University of New York)
Youngok Kim (University of New South Wales)
Jessie Kindig (Indiana University)
Ross King (University of British Columbia)
Kijoo Ko (University of California, Berkeley)
Grace Koh (SOAS, University of London)
Nojin Kwak (University of Michigan)
Tae Yang Kwak (Ramapo College of New Jersey)
June Hee Kwon (New York University)
Nayoung Aimee Kwon (Duke University)
Kirk Larsen (Brigham Young University)
Cheol-Sung Lee (University of Chicago)
Hyangjin Lee (Rikkyo University)
Hyo Sang Lee (Indiana University)
Ji-Eun Lee (Washingto University in St. Louis)
Namhee Lee (University of California, Los Angeles)
Sangjoon Lee (Nanyang Technological University)
Seung-joon Lee (National University of Singapore)
Steven Lee (University of British Columbia)
Yongwoo Lee (New York University)
Yoonkyung Lee (Binghamton University)
You Jae Lee (University of Tübingen)
Keith A. Leitich (Pierce College, Puyallup)
James Lewis (Wolfson College, University of Oxford)
Ramsay Liem (Boston College)
Sungyun Lim (University of Colorado, Boulder)
Roald H. Maliangkay (Australian National University)
Richard D. McBride II (Brigham Young University-Hawai‘i)
Owen Miller (SOAS, University of London)
Yongsoon Min (University of California, Irvine)
Seungsook Moon (Vassar College)
Mark Morris (Trinity College, University of Cambridge)
Tessa Morris-Suzuki (Australian National University)
Justyna Najbar-Miller (University of Warsaw)
Hwasook Nam (University of Washington)
Yunju Nam (University at Buffalo, State University of New York)
Bonnie B. Oh (Georgetown University)
Se-Mi Oh (University of Michigan)
Robert Oppenheim (University of Texas at Austin)
Osamu Ota (Doshisha University)
Hyung Il Pai (University of California, Santa Barbara)
Albert L. Park (Claremont McKenna College)
Eugene Y. Park (University of Pennsylvania)
Hyun Ok Park (York University)
Hyung Wook Park (Nanyang Technological University)
Jecheol Park (National University of Singapore)
Jin Y. Park (American University)
Junghee Park (University of California, Berkeley)
Kyong Park (University of California, San Diego)
Saeyoung Park (Leiden University)
So Jeong Park (Nanyang Technological University)
Soon Won Park (American University)
Young-a Park (University of Hawai‘i)
Sungju Park-Kang (University of Central Lancashire)
Wayne Patterson (St. Norbert College)
Samuel Perry (Brown University)
Mark Peterson (Brigham Young University)
Michael J. Pettid (Binghamton University)
Janet Poole (University of Toronto)
Jelena Prokopljevic (Autonoma University of Barcelona)
Robert C. Provine (University of Maryland)
Jooyeon Rhee (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
Michael Robinson (Indiana University)
Pierre-Emmanuel Roux (Paris Diderot University)
Rebecca N. Ruhlen (Davidson College)
Isabelle Sancho (CNRS-EHESS, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres)
Andre Schmid (University of Toronto)
Yvonne Schulz Zinda (University of Hamburg)
Michael D. Shin (University of Cambridge)
Christoph J. Shin-Janasiak (University of Warsaw)
Edward J. Shultz (University of Hawai‘i)
Codruta Sîntionean (Babes-Bolyai University)
Heejeong Sohn (Stony Brook University)
Clark W Sorensen (University of Washington)
Irina Sotirova (Sofia University, "St. Kliment Ohridski")
Jae-Jung Suh (International Christian University)
Serk-Bae Suh (University of California, Irvine)
Victor A. Ten (Moscow State Regional University)
Vladimir Tikhonov (University of Oslo)
John Treat (Yale University)
Min Sook Wang (University of Jean Moulin Lyon 3)
EunYoung Won (University of Washington)
Hyeyoung Woo (Portland State University)
Hwajin Yang (Singapore Management University)
Jaehoon Yeon (SOAS, University of London)
Kyung-Eun Yoon (University of Maryland, Baltimore County)
Seungjoo Yoon (Carleton College)
Jong-sung You 유종성 (Australian National University)
Ji-Yeon Yuh (Northwestern University)
Diana Yuksel (University of Bucharest)

Additional signatories (signatures submitted after our press release)
추가 서명자(보도자료 공개 이후 들어온 서명)

Stéphane Couralet (Université Bordeaux Montaigne)
Nan Kim (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee)
Sung-Yoon Lee (Tufts University)
Antti Leppänen (University of Turku)
Jinhee Ryu (National Chengchi University)
Solee I. Shin (National University of Singapore)