The policy has become a bitter ideological battleground between left and right in South Korea, with critics accusing President Park Geun-Hye's administration of seeking to deliberately manipulate and distort the narrative of how the South Korean state was created.
Following an obligatory 20-day period to canvass public opinion, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-Ahn and Education Minister Hwang Woo-Yea confirmed that middle and high school students would each receive a single government-issued history textbook from 2017.
"We cannot teach our children with biased history textbooks", Hwang said in a televised statement.
It was Park Chung-Hee who introduced state-issued textbooks in 1973 -- a system that survived the country's transition from military to democratic rule.
In 2003, it was relaxed with the introduction of some privately published textbooks, which then became the norm from 2010 -- although they were still subject to state inspection.
Park's conservative administration argued that the books had taken on an increasingly liberal, left-wing bias, which some even labelled as "pro-North Korean".
Deeply sensitive issues like collaboration during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule are also strongly contested, along with the violence that accompanied the move to democracy in the 1980s and 90s.
Hwang dismissed "groundless" concerns that state-issued textbooks would glorify the authoritarian, military rule of the past.
"This society is too mature to allow... Such an attempt to distort history", he said.
But a vocal coalition of liberal politicians, academics, students and civic groups disagree, and there have been large street demonstrations against the new policy.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Access to Exclusive Premium Stories
Over 30 subscriber-only stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app