Government of South Korea Strongly Protests Japan's Textbooks Claiming 'Dokdo Is Japanese Territory'

Financial News reporters Kim Kyung-soo in Seoul and correspondent Seo Hye-jin in Tokyo Metropolis reported that the Government of South Korea lodged a strong protest and demanded immediate correction over new Japanese high school textbooks that make the unfounded claim that Dokdo is Japanese territory.
On the 24th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea summoned Matsuo Hirotaka, Minister-Counsellor at the Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Korea, to the Government Complex-Seoul to protest Japan's approval of high school textbooks that distort historical facts based on a Japan-centric view of history. The ministry made it clear that South Korea cannot accept any unjust claims by Japan over Dokdo. The Government of South Korea also expressed strong regret that the textbooks contain distorted historical descriptions, including language that waters down the coercive nature of the suffering of comfort women and forced labor mobilization under Japanese colonial rule.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea stated, "For South Korea and Japan to build a future-oriented relationship, a correct understanding of history by future generations must serve as the foundation. We therefore call on the Government of Japan to face up to history and demonstrate a more responsible attitude in history education."
On the same day, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) held a general meeting of the Textbook Authorization Research and Deliberation Council and finalized the screening results for textbooks that high schools will use starting in the 2027 academic year. As with the textbooks that passed screening four years ago and are currently in use, most of the new political economy and geography exploration textbooks reflect the Government of Japan's position asserting sovereignty over Dokdo. They claim that Takeshima (the name Japan uses for Dokdo) became inherent Japanese territory when the Japanese government declared its incorporation in 1905 and placed it under Shimane Prefecture in accordance with international law. In addition, history textbooks increasingly include descriptions suggesting there was no coercion in relation to forced mobilization for labor and comfort women.
Previously, in April 2021, the Government of Japan adopted a written response in the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea stating that using terms such as "abduction" or "forced abduction" in reference to Koreans under Japanese colonial rule was inappropriate, and that the term "forced mobilization for labor" was more suitable.
rainman@fnnews.com