The editorial recalled that Ri Jong Hyon, lawmaker from the "Saenuri Party", one of the closest confidants of the chief executive, on Oct. 28 made absurd remarks that a campaign against the "state-compiled" history textbooks" is aimed to "conduct education in communizing the south."

He defined textbooks many students study at present as "ones for communizing the south" and openly labeled those opposing "state-compiled history textbooks" as "dishonest elements", the editorial charged.

This is reminiscent of McCarthyism against communism in the past century, it said, adding it is anachronistic to label the campaign against "state-compiled history textbooks" as a communist one.

It said that it is not the baseless and counter-productive "instruction from the north" that divides the people but the "president" as she is trying to introduce "state-compiled history textbooks" going against the people's mindset.