Criticism from the opposition is intensifying after President Lee Jae-myung publicly referenced a book claiming ancient Korean states ruled over mainland China and Siberia.
Han Dong-hoon, former leader of the People Power Party, announced he would address the problems with Hwandan Gogi and President Lee's historical views through a live broadcast.
"President Lee Jae-myung mentioned 'Hwanppa' and spoke at an official event as if meaningful debate is still ongoing about the authenticity of 'Hwandan Gogi,' which has been essentially concluded to be a forged text," Han wrote on his social media account on Tuesday.
"This doesn't seem like a topic politicians should speak about in depth, but since the president made such potentially misleading remarks at an official event, I plan to discuss 'Hwandan Gogi' this evening to set the record straight," he added, announcing a live broadcast at 9 p.m.
Hwandan Gogi is an ancient history book allegedly written by a figure named Gye Yeon-su in 1911. It claims Korean territory extended to Siberia and mainland China, effectively dominating Eurasia. Mainstream historians consider Hwandan Gogi a fabricated text, though some scholars treat it as historical record.
The opposition has united in criticizing President Lee's Hwandan Gogi remarks, arguing the president is promoting false history.
Jang Ye-chan, former Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, said targeting the president's remarks, "Korean history is sufficiently proud without believing in forged texts like Hwandan Gogi."
"Especially our achievement of creating the Miracle on the Han River from the ruins of war and finally becoming a global cultural powerhouse is an accomplishment incomparable to things like Hwandan Gogi," Jang added. "If we are proud of who we are now, there's no need to fill our self-esteem with fake history. Both wearing shoulder pads to hide a small frame and emphasizing forced nationalism through fake history are symptoms of mental illness."
Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform Party, said the same day, "After a president who believed in election fraud comes a president who believes in Hwandan Gogi. I'm worried about Korea."
"It doesn't appear in any historical records before 1911, modern Japanese-style Chinese characters appear in supposedly ancient records, and it directly conflicts with archaeological evidence," Lee said. "If Hwandan Gogi is history, then The Lord of the Rings is history too."
The previous day, President Lee asked Park Ji-hyang, chairperson of the Northeast Asian History Foundation, about Hwandan Gogi during a policy briefing.
"Regarding history education, there's this debate about 'Hwanppa' (followers of Hwandan Gogi)," the president said. "Does the Northeast Asian History Foundation not research ancient history?"
When Park responded that "the theories of professional researchers are far more persuasive than those people," indicating she views Hwandan Gogi as a forged text, President Lee countered, "Ultimately, it's a fundamental difference in perspective—from what viewpoint and position one views history."
