By Kang Hyun-kyung
South Korea expressed deep regret Wednesday over the Japanese government’s endorsement of middle school textbooks that characterized Dokdo as part of Japan’s territory.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade condemned Japan for approving the new textbooks. It urged Japan to reverse its course of action regarding its territory claim.
Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, who returned after wrapping up a three-day visit to China, called in the Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Masatoshi Muto Wednesday afternoon to register a protest.
The move comes after education authorities in the neighboring country approved 18 sample copies of textbooks. Among the 18, 12 unequivocally describe Dokdo in the East Sea as Japan’s territory, while some give detailed accounts of the islands, along with photographs.
Some state that South Korea has illegally occupied Dokdo, and that the Japanese government will continue to protest it.
The 18 samples comprise four textbooks on geography, seven on history and seven on ethics. The textbooks will be used next year.
Currently, there are 23 textbooks — six geography, nine history and eight ethics books — used in Japanese middle schools that require central government approval. Among them, 13 describe Dokdo as Japanese territory.
Dokdo, located 87 kilometers southeast of Ulleung Island in the East Sea, has been a source of friction between the two countries.
Seoul-Tokyo relations had been warming after Japan’s Democratic Party took power in 2009, and Korea rushed to help Japan in its post-earthquake relief efforts.
Meanwhile, South Korean Ambassador to Japan Kwon Chul-hyun will pay a protest visit to Japan’s foreign ministry.
In addition, the government plans to support academic research activities on Dokdo and case studies of territorial disputes, and renovate the heliport there.
It will also work closely together with a state-run history think tank to raise public awareness of the islands.
Under the scheme, the Northeast Asian History Foundation will launch a campaign, along with civic groups, to lobby the Japanese education authorities not to adopt the textbooks that describe Dokdo as Japan’s territory.
Seoul’s all-out measures come against the backdrop of Japan’s stepped-up territorial claims. The Japanese government is scheduled to release foreign policy and defense posture booklets in early April and July, respectively. Sources say Japan is likely to step up its claim over Dokdo in these materials.