A Chinese newspaper has criticized as "imprudent" plans by Korea's Education Ministry to revise history textbooks to show that Korea's development began earlier than is currently stated.

The Ministry last week announced that it would change the high school textbooks to state as fact that the Old Chosun dynasty was founded by Dangun Wanggeom and that the Bronze Age on the peninsula was from 2000 BC to 1500 BC, a thousand years earlier than the textbooks now state.

Sanghai's Dongfang Zaobao newspaper on Monday said, “The South Korean government surprised the people with its imprudent attitude in accepting academics' assertions which have long been disputed.”

The Old Chosun kingdom existed until 108 BC in the Liaodong peninsula of what is now China and northwestern regions of Korea. Koreans believe that the possibly legendary Dangun Wanggeom established the kingdom in 2333 BC.

The newspaper said that Korean history textbooks make "absurd" claims that paper and metal movable type were first invented on the Korean Peninsula. The newspaper also said other alleged claims in Korean textbooks are false, including that the ancestors of modern Koreans migrated from the Pamir Mountains of Central Asia to the Korean Peninsula in 8000 BC, gave birth to Manchu clan culture, influenced the Yellow River civilization, and established a civilization in Japan in 7000 BC.

However, the statements about the origins of the Korean people cited by the Dongfang Zaobao are not found in Korean history textbooks.

The newspaper also cited alleged assertions by Korean academic that the Old Chosun dynasty controlled much of what is now China and said that these claims “are regarded as unworthy of refute.”

(englishnews@chosun.com )