Why Historical Accuracy in Textbooks Matters “Korea actually used to be a part of China,” said U.S President Donald Trump to the Wall Street Journal, while talking about his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. This remark wasn’t included in the WSJ’s article on April 12 but was made public six days later by…
Korea’s Economic Development For 35 years from 1910 to 1945, our country was under foreign rule. Due to the Korean War in 1950, our land was devastated. After the war, its GNI per capita was around $50, which was among the lowest in the world. In 1960, it increased to $67 when Ghana’s GNI per…
Did you know there is a public school in the United States named after a Korean? In September of 2009, a new public school opened in Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles United School District Board of Education unanimously approved the name “Young Oak Kim Academy.” This academy became the first public school to have…
The Boom of Popular Korean Culture: A Shift in the Focus of the South Korean-US Relationship As United States president, President Trump, wrapped up his official Asia tour, his visit to the Republic of Korea on November 6th, 2017 served as a reinforcement of an over 60 year alliance between the two countries. Just this…
Guess who is the most respected historical figure in Korea? In every survey about the most admirable historical figure, Koreans always select this great man: Yi Sun-sin. Undoubtedly, Yi is the most respected figure in Korea’s 5000 years of history. During the Joseon Dynasty, he fought in 23 battles against the invading forces of Japan…
The world’s dominant currency is the U.S. dollar. Who are on the US 100- and 1-dollar bills? They are two of the most respected figures in US history: Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. With their portraits on the bills, they are commemorated every day. Americans respect them with high regard because they were freedom fighters.…
The Korean national anthem starts with the East Sea. At 1 p.m. on February 6, 2014, the Virginia House passed the bill that required all Virginia textbooks to include the East Sea alongside the Sea of Japan, by an overwhelming vote of 81 to 15. Now, all students in Virginia will see the East Sea…
Who first comes to mind when you think of American civil rights activist? Most likely, it is Martin Luther King, Jr. Many of you remember the speech he delivered at the Lincoln Memorial before the March on Washington on August 28, 1963: “I have a dream.” “I have a dream that one day on…
You may be surprised to know that Korean freedom fighters came to the United States. They were two Korean men named Jang In-hwan and Jeon Myeong-un. Bang, bang, bang! An American named Durham Stevens was shot to death by two Korean patriots at the port of San Francisco on March 23, 1908. He was…
Admiral Yi Sun-sin(1545-1598) Admiral Yi Sun-sin lived in the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910)(present-day Korea) during the 16th century. He is well renowned for his victories against the Japanese invasions between 1592 and 1598. Most probably, one out of every three Koreans would answer Yi Sun-sin, if they were asked who their favorite hero in Korean history…