By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter

President Lee Myung-bak expressed regret Saturday over a new Japanese textbook containing what Korea sees as a ``distortion of its wartime atrocities" during a summit meeting in Pattaya, Thailand.

Lee sent a firm message to Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso during the summit at the Thai resort.

``Both countries need to look to the future and refrain from any confrontation regarding history issues. There have been such hindrances in our relations in the past but we must work toward stronger ties," Lee said.

Lee returned to Seoul early Sunday morning, cutting short his original schedule, after the Thai government indefinitely postponed the ASEAN summit due to anti-government protests.

President Lee has been avoiding the issue of Japan's alleged distortion of history at top-level meetings with the Japanese since last July when another textbook issue over the naming of Dokdo Islets in the East Sea caused a rift between the two countries.

``It is my hope that Korea and Japan could be on the same page in improving bilateral relations. I urge Japan to demonstrate more caution in these matters," said Lee, referring to Japan's recent approval of what Koreans view as a ``nationalistic history textbook" for use in 2010.

Authorities have been interpreting the remarks in the context of a protest against the new textbooks from the Tokyo-based Jiyusha publishing company. The Jiyusha textbook, along with textbooks from another right-wing publisher, Fusohsa, is regarded as harmful to shaping the historical perception of young students.

President Lee and the Japanese prime minister have been good partners since the latter's inauguration in September 2008. ``While working to maintain good relations with Japan, we have a clear principle of intolerance of obvious misjudgments. The President's remarks reflect such principles," a Cheong Wa Dae official was quoted as saying by the Yonghap News agency Sunday.

Korea maintains that the textbook does not reflect the true nature of Japan's occupation of Korea from 1910 to 1945. It also says that some segments of the textbook dealing with ancient Korean history are groundless.

While in Thailand, President Lee also held a tripartite summit with Japanese Prime Minister Aso and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to discuss North Korea and other issues of mutual concern.

The three parties called for a ``unified, stern" response to North Korea's launch of a rocket on April 5, Cheong Wa Dae officials said.

jhdo@koreatimes.co.kr