THE JAPAN-KOREA CITIZENS GROUP JOINT VIEW ON THE “JAPAN-KOREA JOINT HISTORICAL RESEARCH ORGANISATION”

On 15 October 2001, Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro and President Kim Dae Jung agreed to establish a bilateral "Japan - South Korea Joint Historical Research Organisation". At present, discussions on setting up the organization are continuing at an administrative level, there has been agreement to establish citizens research groups comprising scholars from both countries and support groups comprising governmental personnel, and we are advised that the organisation will be established either in late February or early March. Further, we are also advised that regarding the issue of having research findings reflected in history textbooks, negotiations have broken down because the Korean government insists that this occur, whereas the Japanese government has rejects this demand outright.

In the past there have been many instances of joint historical research organizations between Japan and Korea being established with the assistance of the respective governments, and it is vital that there be sufficient reflection on the reasons why these previous endeavours failed and that these lessons be applied in the current attempt to establish such an organisation. If this does not occur, then the current attempt will fall into the same rut as those earlier ones.

Japan's "History Education Asia Network JAPAN" and Korea's "Headquarters of the Movement to Correct Japanese Textbooks", representing a bilateral citizen's organization concerned with Japan's textbook problem, hope that: real outcomes can be realised through such a joint research organization; that many lessons can be learned by both countries from the past; that the construction of a shared historical consciousness will produce a new relationship that will enhance peace and friendship between them, and in Asia, in the 21st century. From this standpoint, we announce the following shared views on the nature and substance of the Joint Historical Research Organisation:

1.	The organisation should comprise personnel from both countries who represent specialist history research bodies, academic history associations, and history education groups. In addition, female researchers, representatives of victims of aggressive war and colonial rule and researchers who can represent them, should also be included. Furthermore, care should be taken to select researchers who have contributed to the promotion of friendship between Japan and Korea, and researchers who can represent the views of citizens groups that have been involved in the textbook problem.
2.	The administration of the Organisation should in principle be transparent. It is essential that what is being researched, what kind of debate is occurring, what agreements have been reached, and what kind of debates or problems need further discussion are all made known to the peoples of both countries
3.	Research findings must be reflected in the history textbooks and history education in both countries. Koizumi put this joint research organization forward as a solution to the history textbook problem, and understanding "the resolution of the textbook problem" to be the premise, President Kim concurred. Moreover, it can be said that it is only natural to insist that research findings be reflected in the improvement of history textbooks and history education. The Japanese government is saying that the textbook screening system precludes the inclusion of research findings in textbooks, but if they preclude this from the outset, the notion of a joint historical research organization itself becomes meaningless. Even given the premise of the screening system, there are many ways that research findings can be incorporated eg through including them in the curriculum guidelines, or issuing 'recommendations' to governments and textbook publishers.

We trust that the governments of Japan and South Korea will do their utmost to resolve the textbook problem and improve textbooks through the establishment and administration of this joint research organization. We hope that for the sake of Asian coexistence through peace and friendship, children can share historical consciousness, and that our views will be examined and reflected in order to enable this joint research organization to reap these results. In this way, combined Japanese and Korean efforts on both official and private levels will become possible, and we believe that a genuine resolution of the textbook problem will be forthcoming.

We have issued this request to both governments; we have let our views be known widely to the citizens and researchers of both countries, and we also call for close observation of developments surrounding this joint research organization.

February 2002

Japan

Asian Network for History Education, Japan Joint Representatives: Ogawa Yoshinobu (Secretary General, Christian Network for Peace) Takashima Nobuyoshi (Professor at Ryukyu University; Plaintiff, Takashima Textbook Lawsuit Support Group) Tawara Yoshifumi (Secretary General, Children and Textbooks　Japan Network 21) Nohira Shinsaku (Executive Committee, Peace Boat) Matsui Yayori (Representative, 'War and Violence Against Women' Japan Network)

Korea

Civilian Movement for Correcting Japan-distorted Textbook Co-representative, the Executive Committee SEO Joong-Seok (Director, The Institute for Korean Historical Studies) KIM Yoon Ok (Co-representative, The Korea Council for Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan) LEE Nam-Soon (Chairman, Federation of Korean Trade Union) LEE Soo-Ho (Chairman, Korean Teachers & Educational Workers' Union)

Japan Contact Address:

Secretary-General Asian Network for History Education, Japan C/O Children and Textbooks Japan Network 21 Komiyaama Building 201 Iidabashi 2-6-11 Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 102-0072 Tel: 03-3265 7606 Fax: 03-3239 8590