[Initial Report] 'Japanese Historical Distortion, No Future for Korea-Japan Relations'

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] On April 3, 2001, about a year before the joint hosting of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi announced the approval of eight textbooks, including those by the “Association to Create New History Textbooks (Shin-Yokomo),” which glorified invasion and centered on the Imperial Japanese Army perspective.

A week later, on April 10, President Kim Dae-jung recalled Choi Sang-yong, the South Korean ambassador to Japan. Twenty years later, on March 30, 2021, the Japanese government announced the results of the high school textbook screening that specified Dokdo as Japan’s inherent territory. Hours later, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Hirohisa Soma, the Charg? d'Affaires of the Japanese Embassy in Korea.

Although 20 years have passed, Japan has not changed at all. Regardless of the ruling party’s orientation, the Japanese government continues to publish history-distorting textbooks. The scope has expanded from elementary and middle schools to high schools as well. This is intended to instill distorted historical awareness in the youth, the future generation.

The social studies textbook for first-year high school students that recently passed the screening is evaluated as a comprehensive edition of historical distortion. In particular, Japan’s claim to sovereignty over Dokdo has been strengthened. Most of the 296 textbooks include Japan’s unilateral claim of sovereignty over Dokdo.

Among 18 geography comprehensive and civics textbooks, expressions such as “Dokdo is Japan’s inherent territory” or “Korea is illegally occupying it” were reflected. Twelve history comprehensive textbooks generally describe the process of incorporating Dokdo into Japanese territory, and some history textbooks explicitly state that Dokdo is Japan’s inherent territory.

The content regarding Japanese military comfort women was also distorted. Many books vaguely describe the forced mobilization and human rights violations or violence that occurred during the operation of comfort stations without clearly revealing them.

Daiichi Gakushusha had two history textbooks pass the screening, which described the forced mobilization of women from the Korean Peninsula as comfort women with phrases like “many women were sent to comfort stations” and “women were sent to comfort stations,” respectively. By not clearly identifying the party responsible for mobilizing the victims, it made it difficult to understand who is accountable.

Expressions that ambiguously address Japan’s perpetration during its invasion wars and colonial rule were also prominent. Japan’s invasion wars were described as “advancement.”

For example, Shimizu Shoin’s history comprehensive textbook titled the section dealing with the Manchurian Incident and the Sino-Japanese War as “Japan’s continental advancement.” Similarly, Teikoku Shoin’s history comprehensive textbook described the Manchurian Incident as “advancement into the Chinese continent.”

The problem is that amid escalating Korea-Japan conflicts caused by such distorted textbooks, there are concerns that the historical perception gap between the future generations of the two countries will widen further.

If Japan includes unilateral claims of sovereignty over Dokdo in textbooks and teaches students, it could further complicate Korea-Japan relations, which have worsened due to historical issues such as forced labor during the Japanese colonial period and the mobilization of Japanese military comfort women.

In this situation, the Joe Biden administration in the United States has positioned itself as a mediator in Korea-Japan relations since its inauguration, emphasizing multilateralism. This is because close cooperation among the three countries?Korea, the U.S., and Japan?is necessary for North Korea’s denuclearization and strengthening the alliance to counter China.

However, without Japan’s correct historical awareness and apology, no progress can be made. Even if the U.S. exerts pressure, improving relations with Japan will be difficult.

Although our government has stated a policy of treating past history and Korea-Japan cooperation separately for a future-oriented relationship, if Japan continues to distort history for over 20 years and does not improve, it will be difficult for us to accept U.S. mediation.

If the Japanese government wants to build a constructive and future-oriented relationship between Korea and Japan, it must show a more responsible attitude toward the generation that will carry the future.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.