By Anil Giri, Park Si-soo

KATHMANDU, Nepal ― Korea will correct the erroneous information regarding the birthplace of Buddha in a textbook beginning in 2013 in response to Nepal’s request.

“Authors of the book admitted to having described Buddha’s birthplace wrongly and have decided to correct it,” said Kang Hyun-tae, a senior researcher at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. Kang said the corrected version of the book will be released next year as the books for this year have already been printed.

Nepal’s then Ambassador to Seoul Kamal Prasad Koirala called for the correction in a written petition sent to President Lee Myung-bak in December, claiming Buddha’s birthplace Lumbini is a part of Nepal, not India. (See the front-page story of the Dec. 27 edition of The Korea Times.)

The letter led the government to investigate the issue and recently found a textbook describing Lumbini as a part of India.

Nepal hailed the decision.

“It is a matter of appreciation that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Korea took it seriously and promptly acted upon it,” said Acting Nepali Ambassador to Seoul Rajaram Bartuala.

Korea, which is home to millions of Buddhists, had previously agreed to donate $2 million to build and develop Lumbini as a city of peace. Thousands of Korean tourists visit Lumbini every year on pilgrimages.

Several weeks ago, a senior official of Seoul’s foreign ministry informed Acting Ambassador Bartuala over the phone that the instruction for the correction in the relevant book has already been passed on to the concerned authorities and the corrected version will come out in 2013

A Korean primary school textbook “Ethics Part One” states that Buddha was born in Khapila Castle in India. Similarly, another secondary school book “World History” states that Buddha was born to a Royal Brahmin family and his birthplace has been stated as India.

In the December petition to President Lee, Nepal’s envoy had pointed to the factual inaccuracy about the birthplace of Buddha Shakyamuni.

“Being aware of its significance and magnanimity of the sentiments of its large (body of) believers, I take this opportunity to state the facts with humble request subsequently for its correction,” Amb. Koirala said in the four-page letter. It added Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal.

The letter says that when India was under the British rule, some British authors had written that Buddha was born in India, which is still believed to be true in many parts of the world.

Koirala also said that United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-moon has shown keen interest in the development of Lumbini. “This place is at a distance of 32 kilometers north of the border of the Republic of India and while writing chronicles about Buddha the facts are on the ground,” the letter read.

韓國, 敎科書 釋迦牟尼 出生地 바로잡기로

카투만두, 네팔 ― 韓國은 네팔의 要請을 받아들여 2013年부터 敎科書에서 釋迦牟尼의 出生地에 對해 잘못 記述된 것을 바로 잡기로 했다.

敎育科學技術部의 강현태 硏究官은 “敎科書 執筆者들이 釋迦牟尼의 出生地를 잘못 記述한 것을 認定하고 이를 바로 잡아주기로 했다”고 밝혔다.

講演舊館은 今年度에 使用되는 敎科書는 印刷가 이미 끝났기 때문에 矯正이 된 部分은 來年에 配布될 것이라고 말했다.

지난해 12月 카말 프라사드 코이랄라 當時 駐韓 네팔大使는 李明博 大統領에 보낸 請願書에서 釋迦牟尼의 出生地인 룸비니는 人道가 아니라 네팔의 領土라며 이의 訂正을 要請했다. (코리아타임스 12月 27日子 1面 報道)

이에 政府는 調査에 着手 敎科書에 記述된 룸비니는 네팔의 領土임을 確認했다.

네팔은 韓國의 訂正 決定에 歡呼했다. 라자람 바르투알라 駐韓 네팔 大使代理는 “韓國外交部가 이 問題를 重要하게 받아들여 卽刻 行動에 옮겨 주었다”고 말했다.