The English version of A History to Open the Future: Modern East Asian History and Regional Reconciliation, the first common history textbook jointly written by scholars and experts from Korea, Japan, and China was published in 2015 ten years after its first print. This textbook focuses on modern East Asian history and regional reconciliation. After being translated into English, it was published on July 13 by the Asia-Pacific Research Center, University of Hawaii following a cross-checking with the Korean, Japanese, and Chinese versions. The newly released English version can be purchased here.
The common history textbook has sold around 300,000 copies in the three countries with 100,000 copies of sales only in Korea. This textbook is used as a supplementary teaching resource in some secondary schools and a reference book in universities. The Korea-based NGO, Asia Peace & History Education Network, has used it as the main textbook at its annual History Study Camp for Korean-Chinese-Japanese Youths. This textbook has been printed in a comic book edition as well for primary school students.
This book draws attention not only in Northeast Asia but also among American and European academia and history educators. We expect the release of its English version will help history researchers and educators in other parts of the world to better understand East Asian history.
