[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] How Far Does the Mental Training Audit Target Go?

Excluding Civilian Scholars from Writers, Including Only Active Military Personnel and Civil Servants
Voices of Concern from Jeong Jeon-won, Director in Charge of Soldiers' Mental Education

The controversy over the basic mental strength education textbook for soldiers published by the Ministry of National Defense is spreading rapidly. As voices criticizing the Ministry of National Defense grow louder among experts and political circles, an audit appears inevitable.

The content on the ‘Dokdo territorial dispute’ in the basic mental strength education textbook, published by the Ministry of National Defense for the first time in five years, appears in the section titled ‘The Value and Necessity of the ROK-U.S. Alliance.’ The textbook states, "The ROK-U.S. alliance plays a role in contributing to peace and stability in Northeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region," and adds, "The Korean Peninsula is a place where several major powers such as China, Russia, and Japan are sharply confronting each other. These countries project military power overseas for their own interests and are also engaged in territorial disputes such as Diaoyutai Islands (Japanese name Senkaku Islands), Kuril Islands, and Dokdo, so military clashes could occur at any time."

▲Reason for the textbook controversy= The textbook describes Dokdo as a territorial dispute area in the basic mental strength education textbook for soldiers. This contradicts the existing government stance that Dokdo is Korea’s inherent territory and not a subject of dispute, opposing Japan’s attempts to frame Dokdo as a disputed territory.

The map of the Korean Peninsula included in the textbook never shows Dokdo. This has led to criticism that the Ministry of National Defense, which should protect the territory, has effectively abandoned territorial sovereignty. In particular, among the 11 Korean Peninsula maps included in the textbook, none indicate Dokdo. Some maps omit both Ulleungdo and Dokdo, while others show Ulleungdo but exclude Dokdo.

On the 28th, spokesperson Jeon Ha-gyu said at a regular briefing, “It is just stating that neighboring countries have various claims regarding territory; it is not describing that our country recognizes Dokdo as a territorial dispute.”

Dokdo described only as a territorial dispute... Problems in both writing and review

▲Criticism of the Ministry of National Defense= The controversy is not subsiding. There is criticism that Dokdo is being viewed on the same level as the Senkaku Islands and Kuril Islands issues. This differs from the government’s long-standing position that “Dokdo is clearly Korean territory and not a subject of territorial dispute.” In June 2021, when the Japanese Self-Defense Forces distributed a promotional video labeling Dokdo as a territorial dispute area, the government strongly expressed regret and protest.

Park Sung-jun, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized in a written briefing, "Is it not enough that Japan has been given everything from forced mobilization issues to the Fukushima nuclear contaminated water problem, and now they are trying to sell off Dokdo, our territory?" Park added, "Is President Yoon’s submissive diplomacy not the reason the Ministry of National Defense has fallen to such a miserable level?" and demanded, "If the seriousness of the problem is truly understood, immediately hold Minister Shin accountable and dismiss him."

Professor Seo Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women’s University pointed out on his social media that "Including Japan’s unjust claims itself provides a pretext," calling it "absurd and absolutely unacceptable." He emphasized, "The Ministry of National Defense should properly revise the content regarding Dokdo and redistribute it, and through a public apology, ensure that such incidents never happen again," stressing that "Dokdo is Korean territory historically, geographically, and under international law."

▲Will the Director of the Mental Strength Institute also be audited?= Until the morning when the controversy broke out, the Ministry of National Defense maintained that there was no problem, but after the Presidential Office issued a statement, it announced a plan to recall all textbooks. An audit was also announced. Around 1 p.m., the Ministry of National Defense informed the press corps, "Important expression issues such as the Dokdo territorial dispute and the omission of Dokdo have been identified in the content, so all copies will be recalled, and problems in the writing process will be promptly addressed through audit measures."

Military institutions responsible for soldier education should be intensively audited

The writing team consists of 10 members, including Kim Su-gwang, Director of Policy Planning at the Ministry of National Defense (Army Major General), and Kim Seong-gu, Deputy Director of Policy Planning at the Ministry of National Defense (Army Brigadier General). Unlike the 2019 textbook, which was written by civilian scholars with doctoral degrees and expertise in related fields such as Professor Noh Young-gu of the Korea National Defense University, who previously served as head of the Suwon Veterans Affairs Office under the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (now Ministry of Patriots and Veterans), Professor Kim Young-soo of Sogang University, and Professor Choi Young-jin of Chung-Ang University, this edition’s writing team is composed solely of active-duty military personnel and civilian employees.

The generals included in the writing team are Kim Su-gwang, Director of Policy Planning at the Ministry of National Defense (Army Major General), and Kim Seong-gu, Deputy Director of Policy Planning at the Ministry of National Defense (Army Brigadier General). Kim Su-gwang served as Director of Defense Affairs at the Ministry of National Defense, and Kim Seong-gu was reassigned as a division commander. The writing team also includes six active-duty officers, including an Army lieutenant colonel who was promoted to colonel after the textbook’s publication, and one civilian employee.

If an audit is conducted, it is expected to include not only the textbook writers but also the heads of institutions responsible for reviewing the textbook. The review process involved military professors from the Defense Mental Strength Institute as well as professors from the Korea National Defense University. The Defense Mental Strength Institute, a direct subordinate unit of the Ministry of National Defense, was reestablished in 2013 based on the Armed Forces Mental Strength School founded in 1977. In July, retired Colonel Yoon Won-sik was appointed as the 5th director.

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