Proclamation Ceremony of the Charter of National Education on December 5, 1968. National Archives of Korea

Editorial Board Member, Korea Military Academy Class of 1964December 5th marks the 57th anniversary of the promulgation of the Charter of National Education. Although the Charter of National Education is a brief text of 393 characters, it contained compressed answers and missions regarding the spirit and attitude with which the Republic of Korea should respond to the present and forge the future. 

At a time when national development was losing direction and divisions were occurring amidst various crises, the Charter of National Education presented a spiritual compass to the people with the declaration, “We were born in this land bearing the historical mission of national rejuvenation.” 

1. Why We Need to Re-examine and Revive the Charter of National Education? 

The Charter of National Education was the spirit that created and sustained the era of industrialization and scientific advancement. However, in the mid-1990s, the Charter of National Education was quietly erased. Without a replacement to fill the void, the nation has been in decline. Currently, we are witnessing confusion and division stemming from a vacuum in morality, identity, and educational philosophy. 

To establish a new direction for the Republic of Korea, we must awaken to the current state of extreme division and re-establish the standards for national spirit and citizen responsibility. The first step is the revival of the spirit of the Charter of National Education. The revival of the Charter of National Education is a 'New Charter of National Education' that modernly inherits the spirit contained in the past text. We must build a safe and strong nation with the pride of a half-millennium history, a sense of community responsibility, freedom and morality, a national identity based on the welfare of the people and the nation, and the attitude of mature citizens where rights are proportional to responsibilities. 

2. The Spirit That Should Be Embodied in the New Charter of National Education 

▲Morality and Community Spirit: Morality and community spirit are like a needle and thread. While respecting individual rights and freedoms, we must faithfully practice our responsibilities to organizations, the democratic republic, and our duties to the nation. Honesty, sincerity, and courtesy should be the standards for the dignity of the nation and individuals, and by prioritizing the values of the organization over self-interest, we must solidify the moral foundation and character of a civilized nation. 

▲The Essence of Education: Our education has long been tainted by ideology. Education should be considered not as a means for endless competition, but as a way to fully develop individuals and a core system for establishing the nation's spirit. We must declare that education is the fundamental force that determines national development and the dignity of society. The goals of education should be to cultivate democratic citizens who fulfill their responsibilities along with their rights, talents who forge a safe future, and mature security subjects. 

▲National Identity and Pride: A nation is in peril when many politicians lack a sense of national identity. We must firmly establish the values of independence, self-reliance, and liberal democracy as the identity of the Republic of Korea. Identity is not forced but arises from a 'harmonious promise' shared by the people, and we must fulfill our pride and responsibilities as members of the Republic of Korea. 

▲Reconstruction of Spiritual Language Connecting Generations: We must share the nation's history and lessons so that past, present, and future generations are connected as one community. By organizing and restoring the spirit and authentic history that generations can understand and empathize with, rather than manipulated memories, we must transcend division and create a new national culture with individual talents and a sense of mission. 

▲Establishing a Spiritual Compass for an Era of Crisis: In the midst of complex crises in security, economy, diplomacy, and low birth rates, we must establish our national spirit and set behavioral guidelines to overcome division and confusion. The New Charter of National Education should serve as a living manual, guiding the nation's direction, with principles of freedom, responsibility, creativity, and mutual prosperity as its core values. We must define the nation's unwavering goals and the dignity of its people in any crisis and practice this spirit for the future. 

3. A New 'Charter of National Education' to Replace the Preamble to the Constitution

We are proud descendants who have inherited a long history and brilliant culture. We are entrusted with the mission to further solidify the foundation of our modern nation with the will of the patriots who sacrificed for freedom and independence, and the wisdom and unity of the people who founded the Republic of Korea, making liberal democracy our fundamental value. 

We declare that to overcome various contradictions that harm national interests for personal gain, we will guarantee human dignity and rights, fulfill our responsibilities and duties to the community, and build a mature liberal democratic nation based on justice and order. We pledge to forge future civilization based on science and creativity, develop knowledge and technology to contribute to national development and global prosperity, and forge our own path in the face of any crisis with a spirit of independence and self-reliance. 

We will respect each other as individuals, transcending generations, regions, ideologies, and conflicts, reject the division that is the product of stubbornness and factional politics, and realize a peaceful community through national integration and security underpinned by strength, with the identity of the Republic of Korea as a free republic and the pride of a civilized nation. 

We affirm our commitment to protecting nature and pursuing sustainable development, not losing human dignity amidst the civilization of artificial intelligence technology, and striving to promote peace, freedom, and human rights for humanity as global citizens. 

Therefore, for the safe development of the Republic of Korea and the free and prosperous future of our descendants, we solemnly declare that we will engrave the spirit of dedication and responsibility, morality and creativity, mutual cooperation and harmony in the Constitution, and complete a just and dignified, world-leading liberal democratic nation under the principle of national sovereignty, unimpeded by any entity. 

Editorial Board Member, The Hankyoreh