The Education Ministry has ordered additional revisions for Korean history textbooks on issues ranging from Japan’s colonization of Korea to the sinking of a South Korean warship.
 
Last month, a ministry taskforce recommended eight textbook publishers make 829 revisions. The publishers followed up, but the ministry said on Friday that 41 revisions from seven of the eight books still need further correction.
 
It said Kyohak Publishing, for example, needs to change a word used to describe Japan’s colonization of Korea. The ministry also asked Kyohak to more accurately describe the disbanding of a national committee that sought to ferret out colonial era pro-Japan followers.
 
Kumsung Publishing was ordered to provide a more accurate explanation on North Korea's land reform, and publishing company Doosan Dong-A was told to indicate who attacked the South Korean naval vessel "Cheonan" in 2010.
 
The Education Ministry told the publishers to resubmit their revisions by next Tuesday, and it will make final decisions on the changes by next Friday.
 
If the publishers refuse to make changes, their textbooks could be suspended. They could also lose their authorization to publish history textbooks.