South Korea defense ministry inspects teachers' training program over China war memorial visit

The defense ministry said Monday it has launched an internal inspection into how the operator of South Korea's war memorial museum included a visit to a facility in China that promotes Chinese accounts of the 1950-53 Korean War in an overseas training program for teachers.

A news report said the Korea War Memorial Organization, which operates the War Memorial of Korea, recently listed a memorial hall in Dandong, China, as part of the itinerary for teachers featuring historic sites related to anti-Japanese movements during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea.

The memorial hall in China offers public displays centered on the view that Chinese involvement in the war was an effort to assist North Korea in fighting U.S.-led Allied forces that backed the South.

Ministry response "An inspection is under way regarding the program in question, and we are looking into the exact accounts," ministry spokesperson Chung Binna told a press briefing when asked if the ministry views the program as appropriate. "Regardless of the reasoning, the defense ministry deems the itinerary a grave error in the first place," Chung added, while vowing to uncover the truth through the audit and take stern measures accordingly.

The Korea War Memorial Organization reportedly ruled out the memorial hall from the itinerary after it came under fire last week over a promotional poster that featured the Chinese narrative of the Korean War side by side with the South Korean viewpoint.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back instructed officials to thoroughly investigate the incident and ordered strict measures in accordance with relevant regulations.