<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Homeless Koreans' photo upsets community
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Jamie Ee Wen Wei
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The photo appears under the chapter, Housing For The People, in the social studies textbook for Primary 3 pupils. There is no mention of Korea but Korean lettering can be seen in the subway sign. -- ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->Some South Koreans here are upset about a photograph of homeless Koreans that appears in a Singapore textbook, and the embassy here has asked the Ministry of Education (MOE) to remove the photograph.
In response, MOE said the publisher has been asked to replace the picture at the next reprint of the textbook.
The social studies textbook, Interacting With Our World, is published by Marshall Cavendish for Primary 3 pupils. It was first published in 2006.
The 8cm by 6cm photograph, which is slightly fuzzy, appears on page 31, under the chapter Housing For The People.
It shows several homeless people sleeping under blankets at a subway station entrance. A caption next to it says 'Homeless people on the street, 2006'.
While there is no mention of Korea anywhere, Korean lettering can be deciphered from the subway sign.
A mini-storm has since erupted among the Korean community here.
The embassy said an unhappy Korean parent alerted it to the photograph two weeks ago.
Some of the upset Koreans also went online to an Internet forum for Koreans living in Singapore to voice their feelings.
One parent, Ms Lee Soo Eun, 38, who has two daughters studying in Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School, told The Sunday Times that her older daughter, who is in Primary 4 now and went through the syllabus last year, felt very 'shameful' when her classmates saw the picture.
'They asked her, 'Is this your country? How come there are so many homeless people?' '
Another parent, Ms Byun Jee Yun, 38, who has a Primary 5 son in Dazhong Primary School, felt the use of the picture was insensitive as there are many Koreans living here.
The embassy estimates that there are 15,000 South Koreans here. About 4,000 are students in local schools and universities.
'There are homeless people in every country, why must they use a picture of Korea?' Ms Byun asked.
The Korean embassy's deputy head of mission and consul-general, Mr Lee Jong Kook, said the picture does not 'accurately represent Korea and may prejudice the reality of Korea'.
He said MOE has been 'very sympathetic about this issue'.
When contacted, MOE confirmed that it has received feedback from the embassy. Its spokesman said the ministry has asked the publisher to replace the photograph at the next reprint.
All educational material used in Singapore schools has to be vetted by MOE. Its spokesman said the picture was used to show homeless people generically 'with no intention of highlighting any particular country'.
She added that the topic provided Singapore pupils with an understanding of the constraints faced by Singapore, and through that, helped them 'appreciate how Singapore has overcome obstacles through resolve and a positive mindset'.
The South Korean Education Ministry is sensitive to misinformation on South Korea and has a Centre for Information on Korean Culture which reviews foreign textbooks that carry material about Korean history and culture. Send your comments to [email protected]
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Jamie Ee Wen Wei
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
The photo appears under the chapter, Housing For The People, in the social studies textbook for Primary 3 pupils. There is no mention of Korea but Korean lettering can be seen in the subway sign. -- ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->Some South Koreans here are upset about a photograph of homeless Koreans that appears in a Singapore textbook, and the embassy here has asked the Ministry of Education (MOE) to remove the photograph.
In response, MOE said the publisher has been asked to replace the picture at the next reprint of the textbook.
The social studies textbook, Interacting With Our World, is published by Marshall Cavendish for Primary 3 pupils. It was first published in 2006.
The 8cm by 6cm photograph, which is slightly fuzzy, appears on page 31, under the chapter Housing For The People.
It shows several homeless people sleeping under blankets at a subway station entrance. A caption next to it says 'Homeless people on the street, 2006'.
While there is no mention of Korea anywhere, Korean lettering can be deciphered from the subway sign.
A mini-storm has since erupted among the Korean community here.
The embassy said an unhappy Korean parent alerted it to the photograph two weeks ago.
Some of the upset Koreans also went online to an Internet forum for Koreans living in Singapore to voice their feelings.
One parent, Ms Lee Soo Eun, 38, who has two daughters studying in Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School, told The Sunday Times that her older daughter, who is in Primary 4 now and went through the syllabus last year, felt very 'shameful' when her classmates saw the picture.
'They asked her, 'Is this your country? How come there are so many homeless people?' '
Another parent, Ms Byun Jee Yun, 38, who has a Primary 5 son in Dazhong Primary School, felt the use of the picture was insensitive as there are many Koreans living here.
The embassy estimates that there are 15,000 South Koreans here. About 4,000 are students in local schools and universities.
'There are homeless people in every country, why must they use a picture of Korea?' Ms Byun asked.
The Korean embassy's deputy head of mission and consul-general, Mr Lee Jong Kook, said the picture does not 'accurately represent Korea and may prejudice the reality of Korea'.
He said MOE has been 'very sympathetic about this issue'.
When contacted, MOE confirmed that it has received feedback from the embassy. Its spokesman said the ministry has asked the publisher to replace the photograph at the next reprint.
All educational material used in Singapore schools has to be vetted by MOE. Its spokesman said the picture was used to show homeless people generically 'with no intention of highlighting any particular country'.
She added that the topic provided Singapore pupils with an understanding of the constraints faced by Singapore, and through that, helped them 'appreciate how Singapore has overcome obstacles through resolve and a positive mindset'.
The South Korean Education Ministry is sensitive to misinformation on South Korea and has a Centre for Information on Korean Culture which reviews foreign textbooks that carry material about Korean history and culture. Send your comments to [email protected]
