Yoon criticizes defense ministry's description of Dokdo as 'disputed territory'

This book published by the Ministry of National Defense categorized Dokdo as a disputed region / Yonhap

Defense ministry to recall all books that describe Dokdo as territorial dispute area

President Yoon Suk Yeol slammed, Thursday, the defense ministry's recently published educational material, which described the nation's easternmost islets of Dokdo as disputed territory, according to the presidential office.

“This should never have happened,” Yoon was quoted as saying by his spokesperson, Kim Soo-kyung.

“The Ministry of National Defense needs to rectify the situation immediately and take strict corrective measures.”

The criticism came after the ministry's educational material, distributed to soldiers earlier this month, stipulated that regional powers surrounding the Korean Peninsula such as China, Russia and Japan are in a sharp conflict that may lead to a military clash amid ongoing disputes over the Senkaku Islands, Kuril Islands and Dokdo.

The description contradicts the official stance of the Korean government that there is no territorial dispute about the Seoul-controlled islets, which Japan has made claims to.

Han Dong-hoon, the emergency committee chairman of the ruling People Power Party, echoed President Yoon's sentiment, stating, "It is a completely untrue assertion both in reality and according to international law.”

Notably, the educational textbook, which releases a new edition every five years, also fails to mark Dokdo on all 11 maps depicting the peninsula.

In response, the defense ministry has decided to recall all the materials.

"Identified issues in the content, including the matter of territorial disputes over Dokdo and the omission of Dokdo, will be completely recalled. Any problems in the writing process will be addressed promptly through audit measures," the defense ministry said in a statement.

"We recognize the gravity of the situation in the meticulous preparation of the materials. We will promptly supplement the materials based on objective facts to ensure that military personnel are equipped with correct and steadfast mental fortitude."

This incident mirrors a similar controversy in June 2021 when the Japan Self-Defense Forces labeled Dokdo as a “territorial dispute” area in their promotional videos in foreign languages, prompting the Korean government to express regret and protest against Japan.