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As Dokdo has been an issue for the last couple of years and Japan's annexation of Korea is having its 100th anniversary soon, the past is becoming a matter of concern again. The Northeast Project has been completed and the issue has submerged from the surface. But, it still remains a factor that will potentially bring about trouble between Korea and China.

On the other hand, interest in history education is growing in front-line schools. The school curriculum was revised in 2007 and schools now can teach the East Asian History as an elective subject as from 2012. It is the recognition of our society that balanced understanding of history is important for cooperation and peace in East Asia, and this recognition is reflected in this change.

Still, however, the issues on history are not being dealt with actively in front-line schools. Among other things, history can be a subject that is not given much attention in our educational environment where preparation for the entrance examination is prioritized. Also, it is not easy to discuss topics beyond the content of a textbook because there is not much time allocated for the subject.

The situation has been revealed in a survey organized by this Office of Information and Exchanges in last March against 700 middle and high school teachers. Only 56% teachers led a class with a topic on the history issues between Korea, China and Japan at least once during the last three years. Teachers who haven't dealt with these topics were asked why they haven't. 35% of them mentioned 'lack of teaching resources' as the reason. Including those 18% teachers who said 'because the topic is not discussed in the textbook', 53% teachers mentioned 'lack or non-existence of teaching resources' as the reason.

In the same survey, the participants were asked what kind of support or role they expect from Northeast Asian History Foundation. 27% of them expected provision of a diverse range of educational resources. The 'Content Development and Production for History Education Project' carried out by the Office of Information and Exchanges is the first step in response to the demand of those teachers.

The produced resources will be used conveniently when there is a need to teach history about issues beyond the scope of the textbook, and matters of history will be looked at without emotional bias. Objective materials on the issues will be provided and logical, realizable and universally acceptable alternatives will be suggested so that history may be understood correctly.

Helping understand the history with ease and interest

There are a number of issues in relation to the history between Korea, China and Japan. First of all, the Foundation has selected seven topics of concern ? Yasukuni Shrine, Comfort Women for the Japanese Army, Distortion of History in Japanese Textbooks, Baekdu Mountain, Northeast Project, East Sea and Dokdo. It will produce contents on these topics and provide them to the public through its website within this year.

Contents will be made at the level of second or third year middle school students. Based on Foundation's accumulated resources, current school teachers are drafting the texts in consideration of the characteristics of each topic and the demands of the audience. The texts will go through the supervisory checking process by professional researchers at the Foundation before they are completed.

The content of each topic will check the learner's level of knowledge about the topic, and the issue will be introduced with the aid of the teacher. Then, claims of China or Japan and our position in that matter will be summarized with ideal solutions suggested. In the assessment section, the learner can summarize what has been taught. Particularly, the contents will include video images, photos, maps, graphics, characters and narrations so that young middle school students may have interest about the topic, learn and understand it.

The content for history education developed and produced by the Office of Information and Exchanges has been designed for young people and the general public so that they may understand correctly about the seven topics. However, it is also expected to contribute for construction of a future-oriented and peaceful community in East Asia including Korea, China and Japan. The Foundation will continue to strive for developing and supplying educational materials on various topics such as the histories of exchange and cooperation between Korea, China and Japan in order to contribute for a peaceful community of Northeast Asia through education and public information of history.