• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.37-57
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• 2023

In the history of elementary school mathematics education in Korea, the period led by the Government-General of Joseon during the Japanese colonial period cannot be omitted. As a way to grasp the real state of elementary school mathematics education at that time, there is a method of analyzing elementary school mathematics textbooks published by the Government-General of Joseon. However, the actual state of the publication of them was not sufficiently known. For this reason, this study surveys the actual state of the publication of those textbooks. To this end, real information on textbooks owned currently by various institutions and information on the publication of those textbooks in the official gazette and documents of the Government-General of Joseon were checked and organized.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.149-177
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• 2017

Since modern mathematics textbooks were introduced in the late 19th century Korea, arithmetic experts started to teach modern mathematics using Arabic numerals at village schools and churches. After the Gabo Education Reform of 1894, western mathematics education was included in public education and the mathematics textbooks began to be officially published. We explored most of Korean mathematics textbooks from 1895 to 2016 including the changes of mathematics curriculum through 1885-1905, 1905-1910, 1911-1945, 1945-1948, 1948-1953, 1954-1999, and 2000-2016. This study presents the characters of modern mathematics textbooks of Korea since 1885.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.1093-1130
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to examine obstacles to progress for 20th century Korean mathematics. In 1945, shortly after Korea was liberated from Japan, there were no Korean mathematics Ph.D. holders, less than ten bachelor degree holders, and only one person with a master's degree in mathematics. We investigate the reasons for this. Korea has to overcome such an unforgiving condition and rebuild quality education programs in higher mathematics over the last several decades. These debilitating circumstances in higher mathematics were considerable obstacles in developing a higher level of mathematical research for the mainstream of 20th century world mathematics. We study policy and curriculums of Korean school mathematics in the late 19th and early 20th century, with some educational and socio-political background.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.207-254
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• 2009

We would like to give an introduction about Korean Tertiary Mathematics and curriculum in the early 20th centuryan Ttails like, when tertiary mathematics was introduced in Korea, who adiated it, and how it appeared in curriculum for college education were presented. From the late 19th century, the royal circle of the dynasty, officers, socd. Felites, intellectu. sculum in tand many foreatn my mionaries, who entered Korea, began to establish educational ulstitutions begulnearlfrom the nt80s. Kearl GoJongtannounced thescript for general education icentur. Most of the new schoo scadiated western mathematics as tcompulsory course in their curriculumiese introduced tertiary mathematics in most of the curriculumurse end curriculum in, lfrom nt85 to 1960. Since then, tertiary mathematics was tautit at most of the new private and public schools of each level and in colleges. We have investigated the history of Korean tertiary mathematics with its curriculum from 1895 to 1960.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.977-998
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• 2009

In this article, we give a comparative study on the last 300 years of USA and Korean tertiary mathematics. The first mathematics classes in United States were offered before July, 1638, but the real founding of tertiary mathematics courses was in 1640 when Henry Dunster assumed the duties of the presidency at Harvard. President Dunster read arithmetics and geometry on Mondays and Tuesdays to the third year students during the first three quarters, and astronomy in the last quarter. So tertiary mathematics education in United States began at Harvard which is the oldest college in USA. After 230 years since then, Benjamin Peirce in 1870 made a major and first American contribution to mathematics and got an attention from European mathematicians. Major change on the role of Harvard mathematics from teaching to research made by G.D. Birkhoff when he joined as an assistant professor in 1912. Tertiary mathematics education in Korea started long before Chosun Dynasty. But it was given to only small number of government actuarial officers. Modern mathematics education of tertiary level in Korea was given at Sungkyunkwan, Ewha, Paichai, and Soongsil. But all college level education opportunity, particularly in mathematics, was taken over by colonial government after 1920. And some technical and normal schools offered some tertiary mathematics courses. There was no college mathematics department in Korea until 1945. After the World War II, the first college mathematics department was established, and Rimhak Ree in 1949 made a major and first Korean contribution to modern mathematics, and later found Ree group. He got an attention from western mathematicians for the first time as a Korean. It can be compared with Benjamin Peirce's contribution for USA.