The South Korean government issued a statement of protest against Japanese high school textbooks that assert sovereignty over Dokdo and distort the history of Japan's colonial rule over Korea.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a spokesperson's statement on Thursday, saying, "We strongly protest the Japanese government's approval of high school textbooks that distort historical facts based on its self-centered view of history, and urge immediate correction."
The ministry specifically stated, "We strongly protest the Japanese government's repeated approval of textbooks containing unjustifiable claims over Dokdo, which is clearly our inherent territory historically, geographically, and under international law," adding, "We cannot accept any unjust claims regarding Dokdo."
The ministry also "expressed strong regret over the inclusion of distorted historical descriptions that dilute the coercive nature of Japanese military comfort women victims and forced labor mobilization," and "once again urged the Japanese government to approach history education based on the spirit of apology and remorse it has expressed on its own."
"For the construction of a future-oriented Korea-Japan relationship, a correct understanding of history by future generations is important," the ministry added. "The Japanese government must squarely face history and approach history education with a responsible attitude."
The government summoned Hirotaka Matsuo, minister for overall coordination at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building on the same day to convey its protest. Matsuo did not respond to reporters' questions on the issue as he entered the building.
Earlier the same day, Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology held a general meeting of its Textbook Authorization Research Council and finalized the results of screenings for high school textbooks to be used from the 2027 academic year. Many of the new politics and economics and geography exploration textbooks reflected the Japanese government's position claiming sovereignty over Dokdo, as in previous editions, while history textbooks strengthened descriptions that downplay the coercive nature of wartime forced labor and the comfort women system.
