When President Park Geun-hye addresses the National Assembly on Tuesday, she is expected to raise the issue of state-authored history textbooks, among other matters. Any mention of the textbook issue should take into consideration the legitimate concerns raised by historians, scholars, teachers and students, as well as the general public.

A public opinion poll conducted last week showed 52.7 percent of the respondents opposed the move while 41.7 percent are in favor. History professors from the country’s top universities have declared they would not participate in any form in the issuing of state-authored history textbooks. Overseas Korea scholars have also issued a statement opposing the scheme, and more than a thousand people — including students — took to the streets over the weekend in protest.

The naysayers point to the dangers of the state dictating a single perspective of history. There is also a very real danger of different administrations writing their own history books tailored to their liking. Indeed, a reversion to state-authored history textbooks undoes, at a single stroke, the progress that Korea has made as a democracy, something that all Koreas are, and should be, very proud of.

Facing growing opposition, the Education Ministry asked the Ministry of the Interior to publicize the government’s position during regular “bansanghoe” meetings scheduled for Oct. 26. These meetings are a holdover from the Yushin era when they were used to disseminate government policies, and the fact that the government is resorting to such a platform is yet another reminder that time is ticking backward in the Park administration.

Last week, Kim Jung-bae, president of the National Institute of Korean History, which is in charge of compiling the history textbooks, said the names of the writers might not be disclosed as it would create problems for the participants. This is an absurdity: If the writers would rather remain anonymous, what does that say about their willingness to be held responsible and accountable for their work?

The Education Ministry has dipped into the reserves of the national budget, earmarked for contingencies, to channel 4.4 billion won ($3.9 million) toward the textbook project. This is a highly irregular move that infringes upon the National Assembly’s right to deliberate on the budget.

Many aspects of the proposed state-authored history textbooks are irregular. Park should address these issues when she speaks at the National Assembly.