Incheon Office of Education Conducts Detailed Investigation of Japanese Colonial-Era Statues and Sculptures in Schools

Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] The Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education is launching a detailed investigation into statues and sculptures from the Japanese colonial era located in schools.

According to the Office of Education on the 28th, although this year marks the 76th anniversary of Liberation Day, it has been identified that some schools in the region still have statues and sculptures reflecting Japanese imperialism.

From April to December last year, the Office surveyed 523 elementary, middle, high, and special schools in the area and found a total of 81 cases of Japanese colonial remnants, including schools using school songs created by pro-Japanese lyricists or composers.

It was found that three schools still have Japanese colonial-related monuments on their campuses, such as statues of pro-Japanese figures or remnants of Japanese shrines.

Based on the results of this detailed investigation, the Office of Education plans to establish an academic basis for the removal of Japanese colonial-era statues and sculptures in schools and to develop a plan focused on educational utilization for eliminating these remnants.

An official from the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education stated, "Based on the research results, we will discuss and support the removal plans for statues and sculptures together with the respective schools."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.