Presidential Office Warns Japan to Refrain from Excessive Claims and Properly Inform Future Generations

Japan passes Dokdo and history-distorting textbooks the day before
Senior official: "No concession on sovereignty and territory"

The Presidential Office on the 29th warned Japan, which approved elementary school textbooks distorting forced labor and Dokdo sovereignty issues, to "refrain from unreasonable claims and properly inform future generations." In particular, since Japanese textbooks contain numerous contents infringing on Korea's territory and sovereignty, the office plans to maintain a firm stance in response.

A senior official from the Presidential Office told Asia Economy regarding the approval of Japanese textbooks, "Japan has included such biased guidelines in textbooks every year for decades," pointing out the issue.

The official especially stated, "For a future-oriented Korea-Japan relationship, Japan must refrain from unreasonable claims about territories effectively controlled by the Republic of Korea and properly inform future generations," adding, "We cannot concede even an inch regarding the sovereignty and territory of the Republic of Korea," issuing a warning.

Regarding the sovereignty over Dokdo and historical perceptions of the Japanese colonial period, the government expressed its intention to respond firmly without backing down if Japan continues to make distorted and unreasonable claims.

Previously, the social studies and map textbooks for grades 3 to 6, which passed the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's screening the day before, changed the existing description of Korean 'conscription' to expressions such as 'volunteering' without coercion.

Concerning Dokdo, all textbooks included the statement that "Takeshima (竹島, the name Japan claims for Dokdo) is Japan's inherent territory." Some textbooks claimed, "Since about 70 years ago, Korea has illegally occupied it, so Japan continues to protest." There were also textbooks that marked Japanese territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) around Dokdo on maps.

In response, the government immediately issued a statement through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson expressing "deep regret over the approval of elementary school textbooks that follow the unreasonable claims Japan has maintained for decades."

On the same day, Cho Hyun-dong, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, summoned Kumagai Naoki, Charg? d'Affaires of the Embassy of Japan in Korea, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno-gu to lodge a protest.

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