INCHEON — A proposed ordinance would require Incheon schools to teach the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement systematically, the Incheon Metropolitan Council said. Council member Kang Jung-sun said on the 28th that Kang had introduced the ordinance, titled "Ordinance on Promoting Education about the May 18 Democratization Movement at the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education."
Kang cited a recent dispute over historical distortion and an incident in which regionally disparaging chants were used at a high school sports event as the impetus for the legislation. "I was deeply shocked by the thought that this is not a problem with the students, but that proper education has not been carried out and that adults are at fault," Kang said. "I have been preparing a standalone ordinance since the start of my term in order to establish a correct view of history."
Only two metropolitan-level governments — Gwangju Metropolitan City and Chungcheongnam-do Province — currently have standalone ordinances on May 18 education. If the measure passes, Incheon would become the third in the country. A total of 40 lawmakers signed on as co-sponsors, including all Democratic Party members of the council and People Power Party members Ahn Soo-kyung and Shin Young-hee, while People Power Party member Yoon Jae-sang expressed support, leaving the bill on course for smooth passage in the plenary session.
The ordinance would require the Incheon superintendent of education to draw up and carry out an annual plan for promoting May 18 education. Its main provisions cover support for linking the subject to the school curriculum, training programs to strengthen teachers' capabilities, and support for student field trips. Reflecting the material in the curriculum, however, was left as a discretionary provision out of respect for the autonomy of individual schools.
Critics note that support for field trips faces limits, as the education office estimates annual spending on the program at less than 100 million won on average. Kang plans to secure the legal framework first and gradually supplement the budget in the years ahead.
The ordinance is set for review by the council's education committee in the first week of September, with a final vote in the plenary session on September 18. It would take effect on the date of promulgation.
