Middle school textbook draws Taegukgi symbol incorrectly, professor says Ministry of Education bears responsibility

A middle school Korean-language textbook contains an incorrectly drawn taeguk symbol on the national flag, the Taegukgi, a professor said Tuesday.

Seo Kyung-deok, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, said on SNS Tuesday that a parent had sent him a photo showing the taeguk symbol on the Taegukgi was drawn incorrectly in a second-year, second-semester Korean-language textbook for middle school students published by Visang Education.

Seo also said a photo caption in the accompanying study guide referred to the tournament as the "2002 Korea World Cup," when the correct name is the "2002 Korea-Japan World Cup."

"It is unacceptable for such errors to appear in the textbooks our children learn from," he said. "The publisher is at fault, but the Ministry of Education also bears significant responsibility, as this is a government-certified textbook that the ministry approves."

Seo added that he had spent years correcting incorrectly designed versions of the Taegukgi used abroad, and that he would now work to address improper uses of the flag's design within South Korea as well.