[홍범도] 논란. 육사 홍범도 흉상 철거 주도자, 국정교과서 집필 ‘뉴라이트’ 나종남 교수

언론보도.

 

 

 

육사 홍범도 흉상 철거 주도자, 국정교과서 집필 ‘뉴라이트’ 나종남 교수였다

2023.09.05 17:38 입력
탁지영 기자    유새슬 기자
나 교수, 육사 기념물 재배치 위원회 간사

2016년 박근혜 정부 때 국정교과서 집필

뉴라이트 건국절 사관·박정희 미화 논란

윤 정부 ‘뉴라이트 역사관’ 도마 오를 듯

서울 용산구 국방부 청사 앞에 설치된 고 홍범도 장군 흉상. 김창길 기자

 

서울 용산구 국방부 청사 앞에 설치된 고 홍범도 장군 흉상. 김창길 기자
육군사관학교에 설치된 홍범도 장군 등 독립운동가 5인의 흉상 철거를 주도했던 육사 ‘기념물 재배치 위원회’(위원장 김순수 교수부장)의 실무 총괄자가 나종남 육사 군사사학과 교수로 5일 확인됐다.

나 교수는 박근혜 정부 당시 국정교과서 현대사 집필진이었다. 뉴라이트 성향으로 평가받는 한국현대사학회가 출범한 2011년 당시 언론 보도를 보면 창립준비위원 명단에 나 교수 이름이 명시돼 있다. 윤석열 정부와 군이 소련공산당 가입 이력을 문제 삼아 홍 장군 흉상 철거를 결정하면서 친일 전력이 있는 백선엽 장군의 웹툰은 복원시키는 등 독립운동사 지우기에 나선 배경에 뉴라이트 세력이 있다는 정황이 드러난 것이다.

이날 경향신문이 정성호 더불어민주당 의원실을 통해 확인한 결과 나 교수는 육사 기념물 재배치 위원회 간사로 실무를 총괄하고 있다. 독립운동가 흉상 철거 논란이 일어난 뒤 재배치 위원회 인사 명단이 확인된 것은 이번이 처음이다.

나 교수는 2016년 박근혜 정부 당시 국정교과서 현대사 집필진으로 참여했다. 당시 국정교과서 현대사 부분에는 1948년 8월15일에 대한민국이 건국됐다는 뉴라이트의 건국절 사관이 그대로 담겼고, 박정희 정부와 재벌을 미화하는 부분이 늘어 논란이 됐다.

나 교수는 국정교과서 논란 당시 사회관계망서비스(SNS)에 박정희 전 대통령을 찬양하는 학자들의 글을 공유했던 사실이 드러나 논란에 휩싸이기도 했다. 나 교수가 2014년 공유한 글에는 “박정희 전 대통령의 독립군 토벌 사실이 100% 날조됐다” “자유라는 것은 그 나라의 수준에 맞게 제한돼야 한다. 이를 가지고 독재라고 매도하는 것은 말이 되지 않는다” 등 박 전 대통령을 칭송하는 주장만 나열됐다.

한국현대사학회는 뉴라이트 인사들이 주축이 돼 만든 단체다. 이 학회는 이명박 정부 때인 2011년 역사교과서에서 민주주의를 ‘자유민주주의’로 바꿔 써야 한다고 주장했다. 박근혜 정부 때인 2013년에는 일본군 ‘위안부’ 피해 문제를 축소·왜곡하거나 이승만·박정희 정부를 미화했다는 비판을 받은 교학사 한국사 교과서를 집필한 곳이다.

나 교수는 <대한민국 건국의 재인식> 집필에도 참여했다. 이 책은 1948년 8월15일 이승만 정부의 탄생을 건국일로 보는 뉴라이트 인사들이 2008년에 건국 60주년을 기념하기 위해 출간됐다. 김영호 통일부 장관도 공동저자로 들어가 있다.

뉴라이트 인사인 나 교수가 육사 기념물 재배치 위원회 총괄자라는 사실이 드러나면서 윤석열 정부의 뉴라이트 역사관이 도마에 오를 것으로 전망된다. 그간 군과 정부는 홍 장군 흉상을 독립운동 업적을 잘 드러낼 수 있는 곳으로 이전하는 것뿐이지 뉴라이트 이념에 편향된 것은 아니라는 입장을 밝혀왔다. 한덕수 국무총리는 이날 국회 대정부질문에서 “극우 뉴라이트의 편향된 이념이 대한민국 이념이 돼야 하냐”는 설훈 민주당 의원에 “윤석열 정부가 극우 뉴라이트적 시각을 가지고 있다는 시각에는 동의하지 않는다”고 답했다.

정성호 의원은 “육사 내 독립운동가 흉상 철거를 주도한 인물이 극우 성향의 박근혜 정부 국정교과서 집필진인 것으로 드러났다”며 “국방부와 육사는 역사 왜곡 논란을 일으킨 국정교과서 집필진을 총괄책임자로 임명한 이유와 위원회 전체명단을 모두 공개해야 한다”고 밝혔다.

육사는 “간사 직책은 의사결정을 주도하는 위치가 아닌 위원회를 운영해 나가는 데 필요한 연락이나 회의 소집 및 진행 등의 역할을 수행한다”며 “위원회는 특정인에 의해 주도될 수 없고 총 19명의 위원들이 함께 논의하며 논의 내용에 대해서는 추가로 학교의 주요 직위자들이 수회의 개념 토의와 현장 토의 등을 통해 결정하는 구조”라고 밝혔다.

육사는 “나 교수는 국정교과서 6·25 전쟁사 집필진으로 참여한 바 있으나 6·25 전쟁사를 연구한 전문연구위원 자격으로 참여한 것”이라고 밝혔다. 이어 “나 교수는 한국현대사학회와 무관하며 창립준비위원 등으로 활동한 적 없다”고 했다. 나 교수가 포함된 명단이 언론에 공개됐음에도 한국현대사학회 관련 활동을 부인한 것이다. 육사는 또 “백선엽 장군 웹툰은 인터넷 서버 용량이 해결되어 다시 게재한 것이며 기념물 재배치 위원회 및 나 교수와는 관련 없다”고 밝혔다.

영문번역(English Translation)

 

 

The person behind the removal of Hong Beom-do’s statue from the Military Academy was the New Right professor, Na Jong-nam

 

2023.09.06 16:27

 

Tak Ji-young, Yu Sae-seul

 

The bust of the late General Hong Beom-do in front of the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Kim Chang-gil

 

The bust of the late General Hong Beom-do in front of the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Kim Chang-gil

 

On September 5, it was confirmed that the person who oversaw the practical business of the committee for the relocation of monuments in the Korea Military Academy, which led efforts to remove the busts of five independence activists including General Hong Beom-do erected in the Academy, was Na Jong-nam, a professor of military history at the Academy.

 

Na was one of the authors of the contemporary history section in the state designated textbook at the time of the Park Geun-hye government. According to the press coverage in 2011, when the Korean Contemporary History Society--known for its New Right perspective--launched, Na was on the list of members who prepared the establishment of the society. The Yoon Suk-yeol government and the military raised an issue with General Hong’s history with the Communist Party in the Soviet Union and decided to remove his bust from the Military Academy, while restoring the webtoon of General Paik Sun-yup (Baek Seon-yeop), who has a history of collaborating with Japan. The latest discovery reveals circumstances that suggest that the New Right forces were behind the latest effort to erase the history of our independence movement.

 

On Tuesday, the Kyunghyang Shinmun confirmed through the office of Democratic Party of Korea legislator Jung Sung-ho that Na oversaw the details as a secretary of the committee for the relocation of monuments in the Military Academy. This was the first time that the list of committee members was confirmed since the controversy over the statues of independence activists was first triggered.

 

Na Jong-nam participated in writing the contemporary history section of the state designated textbook under the Park Geun-hye government in 2016. At the time, the New Right’s view on national foundation day--that the Republic of Korea was founded on August 15, 1948--was reflected in the state designated textbook along with more sections glorifying the Park Chung-hee government and the chaebol, stirring controversy. Na ended up in the center of the controversy after it was revealed that he had shared writings by scholars praising former President Park Chung-hee on social media at the time.

 

The Korean Contemporary History Society is an organization founded mostly by New Right figures. The society argued that history textbooks should be revised to state “democracy” as “liberal democracy” in 2011 under the Lee Myung-bak government. In 2013, under the Park Geun-hye government, the society also wrote the Korean history textbook published by Kyohaksa. The textbook was criticized for reducing and distorting the issue of comfort women in the Japanese military and for glorifying the Rhee Syng-man and Park Chung-hee governments.

 

Professor Na also contributed to the New Understanding of the Foundation of the Republic of Korea. The book was published to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the nation’s foundation in 2008 by New Right figures, who argue that the nation was founded on the day the Rhee Syng-man government was born--on August 15, 1948. Minister of Unification Kim Yung-ho co-authored the book.

 

Now that it has been revealed that Na, a New Right figure, was the man behind the relocation of monuments in the Military Academy, the Yoon Suk-yeol government’s New Right perspective of history is expected to come under public scrutiny. In the past, the military and the government claimed they were simply relocating the bust of General Hong to another location where his contribution to the nation’s independence could be better illuminated and denied any bias toward New Right ideas. On Tuesday, when Prime Minister Han Duck-soo answered parliamentary questions, Democratic Party lawmaker Sul Hoon asked, “Must the biased ideas of the far-right New Right become the philosophy of the Republic of Korea?” The prime minister answered, “I do not agree to the view that the Yoon Suk-yeol government has a far-right New Right perspective.”

 

Legislator Jung Sung-ho said, “The person who led efforts to remove the bust of an independence activist in the Military Academy turned out to be one of the authors of the state designated textbook under the Park Geun-hye government, a man with far-right tendencies,” and argued, “The defense ministry and the Korea Military Academy must disclose the reason they appointed one of the authors of the state designated textbook, which stirred controversy for distorting history, as the person in charge and also disclose the entire list of members on the committee.”

 

The Military Academy explained, “The position of secretary is not one that leads the decision-making, but one that contacts the necessary people to run the committee and convenes and moderates meetings,” and said, “The committee cannot be led by a certain person. All nineteen committee members discuss issues together, and as for the issues they discuss, people in major positions in the school discuss concepts and engage in field discussions multiple times to make a decision.”

 

‘박정희 독재 미화’ 나종남 교수, 홍범도 흉상 철거 맡는다
등록 2023-09-05 19:55

 

수정 2023-09-06 12:02
임재우 기자 사진

 

 

뉴라이트 성향 육사 교수, 기념물재배치위 총괄간사
육사 “해당 위원회 특정인 주도 아닌, 19명 함께 논의”

특별수송기를 통해 2021년 8월15일 서울공항에 도착한 홍범도 장군의 유해가 하기 되고 있다. 연합뉴스

 

홍범도 장군 흉상 철거를 주도한 육군사관학교 ‘기념물재배치위원회’(위원장 김순수 교수부장) 총괄 간사가 나종남 육사 군사사학과 교수(대령)인 것으로 확인됐다. 나 교수는 박근혜 정부의 국정교과서 현대사 부분 집필진으로 참여했다.

 
정성호 더불어민주당 의원실은 5일 나 교수가 육사 기념물재배치위의 총괄 간사로 실무 작업을 주도하고 있다고 말했다. 나 교수는 한국현대사학회의 창립준비위원으로 이름을 올렸다. 

 

뉴라이트 성향의 한국현대사학회는 ‘좌편향 교과서를 바로잡아야 한다’고 주장한 ‘교과서포럼’의 인사들이 주축이 돼 2011년 창립됐다. 나 교수는 2016년 박근혜 정부 당시 추진됐던 중고등학교 국정 역사교과서의 현대사 부분 집필진으로 참여한 이력도 있다. 

 

당시 국정 역사교과서는 기존의 검정 교과서보다 일제강점기에 대한 서술은 줄인 반면, 박정희 정부에 대한 서술은 늘리고, 건국절 사관과 재벌 미화 등의 내용을 담아 논란이 됐다.

 

나종남 육사 교수

 

나 교수는 2014년 자신의 페이스북에 박정희 전 대통령 독재를 미화하는 듯한 글을 올리기도 했다. 

 

나 교수는 “박정희 모든 것을 파헤친다! 박정희의 날조에 대한 모든 것을 반박하고 일생을 조국과 민족을 위했던 박정희의 모든 것을 보여준다”는 제목의 글에서 박정희 전 대통령의 공적을 부각한 학자들의 말들을 공유했다. 

 

이 중에는 “박정희 전 대통령의 독립군 토벌 사실이 100% 날조됐다”, “민주화란 것은 산업화가 끝나야 가능한 것이다. 자유라는 것은 그 나라의 수준에 맞게 제한돼야 한다. 이를 가지고 독재라고 매도하는 것은 말이 되지 않는다” 등의 내용도 포함됐다.

 

뉴라이트 성향의 학자가 홍범도 장군의 흉상 철거에 관여한 것으로 알려지면서 윤석열 정부의 역사관이 논란이 될 것으로 보인다. 한덕수 국무총리는 이날 대정부질문에서 “윤석열 정부가 극우 뉴라이트적 시각을 가지고 있다는 시각에는 동의하지 않는다”고 답했다. 정성호 의원은 “국방부와 육사는 나 교수가 재배치위의 주무를 맡게 된 배경과 19명의 위원회 명단을 공개해 국민적 의혹을 해소해야 한다”고 말했다.

이에 육군은 “‘간사’ 직책은 의사결정을 주도하는 위치가 아닌 위원회를 운영해 나가는 데 필요한 연락이나 회의 소집 및 진행 등의 역할을 수행한다”며 “해당 위원회는 특정인에 의해 주도될 수 없고, 총 19명의 위원들이 함께 논의한다”고 말했다.
임재우 기자 abbado@hani.co.kr