(image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Nov. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — The U.S. Advanced Placement (AP) curriculum has been reported to contain false information about South Korea, a civic group said Wednesday.
The Voluntary Agency Network of Korea (VANK) revealed that page 259 of Kaplan’s AP Human Geography Prep Plus 2020 & 2021 contains serious errors about the South Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo.
“Another boundary dispute is the Takeshima/Dokdo Island dispute in the East Sea/Sea of Japan. Both Japan and Korea claim the island, and Koreans exhibit fierce nationalism, asserting that the island is strictly Korean,” the book said.
The book also falsely claims that Dokdo is terra nullius, or territory without an owner, and that Koreans are claiming territorial rights over the island.
The book undermines South Korea’s enthusiasm for Dokdo.
On page 368 of the same book, Jeju Island isn’t listed as part of South Korea. Page 369 refers to the city of Gwangju as ‘Kwangju,’ and falsely calls it a port city.
Page 258 falsely writes that the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) has been drawn across the 38th parallel. In fact, the DMZ is drawn across the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), not the 38th parallel.
Kaplan’s World History AP also contained errors. Page 58 of the book referred to the East Sea as ‘Sea of Japan,’ and depicts the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) as a Manchu vassal state between 1644 and 1760.
Both books are currently being sold on Amazon.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
