Teachers' group calls for cancellation of historian's lecture at Gyeonggi education office

Lecture scheduled for Wednesday for students, parents and teachers

Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations cites past remarks on Korean War

Hwang says he never denied North Korea started the war

Education office says speaker selection is not a political matter

The Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations has called on the Gyeonggi Province Office of Education to cancel an invited lecture by Hwang Hyun-pil, a history YouTuber and director of the History Rectification Research Institute.

The federation argues it is inappropriate to invite a figure whose past remarks on the Korean War have stirred controversy to speak before students. The education office pushed back, saying the lecture covers history education rather than a political issue and is not grounds for replacing the speaker.

The federation issued a statement Thursday urging the education office to cancel the event and establish clear criteria for selecting speakers. "Lectures organized by the education office must thoroughly examine not only a speaker's expertise but also the educational appropriateness, historical accuracy and political neutrality of the content," it said.

The Gyeonggi Province Office of Education is set to hold the "2026 Gyeonggi Education Great Transformation Celebrity Lecture" at the main auditorium of its southern branch office on Wednesday. The event is open to students, parents and school staff. Hwang is scheduled to speak on the theme "History as history, education as education." Since the lecture was announced, the education office has also received complaints calling for the speaker to be replaced.

The federation's objection centers on remarks Hwang made about the Korean War in a past lecture, in which he suggested the war was "started by the United States." Hwang later addressed the controversy on his YouTube channel, saying the clip was "a malicious edit that stripped away all context."

The federation said distinguishing between established historical fact and a speaker's personal interpretation is important. While students should be exposed to multiple perspectives, they must be able to evaluate them on the basis of evidence, it said. The fact that a lecture addresses history education does not, in itself, substitute for scrutiny of its accuracy and fairness, the federation added.

The federation also cited what it described as a past lapse in the education office's vetting process, noting that a webtoon about North Korea posted on the Gyeonggi Province Office of Education's official social media account in 2021 was taken down after drawing criticism for glorifying the North. It said clear standards are needed for reviewing educational content and lectures made available to the public.

The education office said it has no plans to change speakers. "Hwang was selected through recommendations from multiple channels," it said, drawing a line against the demand. "This lecture addresses the importance of history education and is not a matter that warrants replacing the speaker."

The federation also linked the controversy to broader discussions about expanding teachers' basic political rights. While it supports giving teachers greater political freedoms, it said trust in the neutrality of educational content and students' right to learn must be secured alongside any such expansion. It warned that controversies over speaker selection could complicate efforts to advance those rights.

Kang Ju-ho, chairman of the federation, said the dispute and the complaints it has generated could place a burden on schools. "Whoever is invited in the future, consistent standards should be applied, and expert review sought when necessary," he said. "Please ensure that lectures are arranged in a way that genuinely benefits students' learning and that the educational community can trust."

brunch@heraldcorp.com