이 글은 1959년을 기점으로 미국학계에서 이른바 “태프트-가쓰라 협정”이 역사적 사실이 아니라 신화에 불과한 것이라고 정리되었음에도 불구하고, 국내외 중고등학교 역사교과서 및 대학교재에 이를 역사적 사실로 서술하고 있는 현상에 주목한 바, 그 서술상의 문제점을 분석하고 대안을 모색하는데 연구의 목적이 있다. 이에 러시아, 북한, 일본, 한국의 대학교재 및 고등학교 교과서를 비교 분석함으로써, 러시아와 북한은 反美의 냉전적 역사인식이 오류의 기원이었으며, 한국과 일본은 러일전쟁 이후 일본의 한국강점의 당위성을 설명하기 위해 사료의 왜곡과 무비판적으로 이를 수용한 것이 그 원인이었음을 밝혔다. 따라서 본 연구는 한국, 일본, 러시아, 미국의 학자들이 참여하는 일종의 ‘한국사국제연구위원회’와 같은 모임의 필요성을 제기하는바, 한국근대사가 세계사와 연동되고 있기 때문이다.

Since the ?aft-Katsura agreement?has become a standard item not only in the history textbooks of Korea and Japan but in Russian college textbooks on Korean history, it seems worthwhile to re-examine the validity of the ?yth?of the Taft-Katsura Agreement. Although the ?llusion of the Taft-Katsura Agreement?has already been disenchanted in Western academic circles, it is remained as a historical reality in Korean and Japanese history textbooks and Russian textbooks on Korean history. It is a problem that provides a pretext for students to misunderstand the process of Japan? annexation of Korea in 1910. This kind of outdated, misinformed contents included in history textbooks about Korea has motivated us to create an international research committee for Korean history, consisting of Korean, Japanese, Russian and American scholars. Since most issues of Korean modern history should be examined in the context of world history, I believe joint research with international scholars is a highly recommendable direction for us to go.

Since the ?aft-Katsura agreement?has become a standard item not only in the history textbooks of Korea and Japan but in Russian college textbooks on Korean history, it seems worthwhile to re-examine the validity of the ?yth?of the Taft-Katsura Agreement. Although the ?llusion of the Taft-Katsura Agreement?has already been disenchanted in Western academic circles, it is remained as a historical reality in Korean and Japanese history textbooks and Russian textbooks on Korean history. It is a problem that provides a pretext for students to misunderstand the process of Japan? annexation of Korea in 1910. This kind of outdated, misinformed contents included in history textbooks about Korea has motivated us to create an international research committee for Korean history, consisting of Korean, Japanese, Russian and American scholars. Since most issues of Korean modern history should be examined in the context of world history, I believe joint research with international scholars is a highly recommendable direction for us to go.

Taft-Katsura agreement, Russian college textbook on Korean history, Korean history textbook, Japanese diplomacy documents, International Joint Research Committee for Korean History