Another wedge is being driven between South Korea-Japan relations.
The Japanese government is establishing a new subject for teenage students... that will wrongly educate them that Korea's easternmost Dokdo Island is Japanese territory.
Park Soyun reports.
The Japanese government is expected to further distort history through yet more unacceptable and false claims that Dokdo is Japan's territory.
Japan is planning to establish a compulsory "public affairs" subject in high schools that will reinforce the meaning of sovereignty regarding territorial and security issues.
The subject will contain distorted historical perspectives on its ongoing territorial disputes, including Japan's unjust claim to Dokdo, which is South Korea's sovereign territory.
Set to be introduced in 2022, the "public affairs" subject will be created as a mandatory subject with the objective of "improving teaching about national territory" for the Japanese students.
This authorization marks the culmination of the Abe administration's 2014 amendment that promotes right-leaning textbooks.
Over the years, the South Korean government has strongly protested and expressed regret over Japan's repeated claims to Dokdo, which is South Korea's inherent territory historically, geographically, and in accordance with international law.
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono recently said during a parliamentary address that Dokdo is part of Japan, enraging the South Korean people.
Dokdo has been administered by South Korea since 1954, but Tokyo has been rigorously disputing South Korea's sovereignty.
Japan's renewal of its territorial claims is expected to further drive a wedge between South Korea and Japan's already sour relations.
Park Soyun, Arirang News.
