한국과 베트남의 베트남전쟁에 관한 인식과 교육

Abstract

Although the Vietnam War, the worst war of the 20th century, has ended, memories of Korea and Vietnam are still in dormancy or signs of revival in recent years. However, not only do the two Koreans' perceptions of the Vietnam War differ, but they also reveal political, social, and emotional divisions and discomfort. This phenomenon also affects the history education related to the Vietnam War of both countries, causing tension to the diplomatic relations of the student generation as well as the old generation. The purpose of this article is to understand the perceptions and educational situation of the Vietnam War in Korea and Vietnam by means of analyzing the historical textbooks about the Vietnam War and the prior research on the memory and recognition of it. Until now, the two countries have different perceptions of the Vietnam War, while Vietnam has recognized it as a war of patriotism, unification war, and the People's War. On the other hand, South Korea has not fully understood the overlapped character of international warfare, civil war and irregular warfare. These differences and distortions are reflected in the history education of the two countries, and the former consistently operates a linkage program in the textbook compilation, museum display and veterinary policy based on the nationalist historical view of the cause, process and result of war. The latter, on the other hand, is unable to lay the groundwork for historical reconciliation and dialogue while compiling different history textbooks and social reeducation courses between conservatives and progressive camps. In conclusion, it is doubtful whether historical reconciliation and dialogue between the two countries will be possible at this stage, given the different perceptions of the two countries and the reality of historical education. To overcome these differences stemming from the different historical experiences of both countries and the perception of national security and sovereignty, there is a need for continuous and diverse research and efforts.