日, '독도는 일본 땅' 초등생 교과서부터 왜곡 교육
Japan continues to lay false claims on South Korea's easternmost island of Dokdo, and this time by teaching the incorrect history to young students.
Seoul was quick to respond,... strongly reiterating that the island has, and always will, belong to Korea.
Our foreign affairs correspondent Lee Ji-won has more.
Japan has reinforced its incorrect claims over South Korea's easternmost island Dokdo in its elementary school textbooks.
Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology held a meeting to examine school textbooks on Tuesday, where they approved 12 elementary school books.
This is the first release of the books after the ministry changed its teaching guidelines in 2017 to state that South Koreans are illegally occupying the island and that Dokdo, the Kuril and Senkaku islands are Japan's sovereign territories.
Similar to the previous version, the textbooks draw their territorial line around Dokdo, referring to the island by the Japanese name "Takeshima".
But in the new edition, the books emphasize that the island is Japan's "sovereign territory" hinting that it's never belonged to anyone else,... and that South Korea is illegally occupying Dokdo.
Overall, the textbooks increased their coverage of the island with more photos and maps.
The textbooks will be used by Japanese students in grades 4, 5 and 6 starting from April next year.
To this, South Korea once again, strongly refuted Japan's false claims over the island.
""We once again reiterate that Dokdo is historically, geographically and by international law, South Korea's sovereign territory. We do not accept any form of Japan trying to raise the issue of Dokdo."
Seoul's foreign ministry went on to say that Japan must realize how such incorrect education could lead to negative consequences in developing ties that look towards the future, and that Tokyo must take responsibility in teaching Japanese students the correct history.
The ministry also summoned Japanese ambassador to South Korea, Yasumasa Nagamine in the afternoon to lodge a formal protest.
Japan's tireless false claims come despite South Korea's firm stance, that historical records from both Korea and Japan prove that the island belongs to South Korea.
"Reams of historical documents attest to Korea's ownership of the island, including one saying it was controlled by Koreans as far back as 500 B.C.
Numerous Japanese documents as old as the 17th century also say the island belongs not to them but to Korea.
Lee Ji-won, Arirang News."
