A visitor looks at displays at a special exhibition, titled “Ukraine History via Its Currencies,” at the Bank of Korea’s Money Museum in Seoul on Jan. 25, 2022. The photo features the Independence Square in Kiev. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — Ukraine, which has been devastated by the Russian invasion, plans to add to its school textbooks the South Korean economic model dubbed the Miracle on the Han River, which refers to the country’s rapid economic growth after the 1950-53 Korean War.
According to the South Korean Embassy in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science changed the curriculum guidelines for 10th-grade world geography and 11th-grade world history to include the South Korean economic growth model.
The changed guidelines for 10th-grade world geography pinpoint Seoul, together with Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Dubai and Shanghai, as Asia’s largest financial hubs, while highlighting Busan as one of Asia’s largest ports on the map.
The guidelines also stipulate that the textbooks should deal with South Korea in the categories of economic geography, international politics and trade on par with Japan, China and India.
The 11th-grade guidelines stipulate that the textbooks should include not only South Korean economic development but also the country’s experience in democracy and economic miracle.
“We want to learn how South Korea achieved economic development after being shattered by the Korean War and what’s behind its economic development,” an official from the Ukrainian ministry said.
“We want to get implications for Ukraine’s national reconstruction.”
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
