The government of the Republic of Korea strongly protests against the Japanese government’s authorization on March 24 of high school textbooks that distort historical facts according to Japan’s self-centered view of history. The ROK government calls for an immediate correction.

Particularly, the ROK government strongly protests against the fact that the Japanese government once again authorized textbooks containing preposterous claims over Dokdo, which is clearly an integral part of the ROK territory historically, geographically and under international law. The ROK government makes it clear that Japan’s unjust claims over Dokdo are entirely unacceptable.

The ROK government also expresses strong regret over the fact that these textbooks contain descriptions on the historical issue of forced labor victims during Japanese colonial rule as well as that of “comfort women” victims of the Imperial Japanese Army, distorted in a manner that dilutes their coercive nature. The ROK government once again urges the Japanese government to pursue history education based on the spirit of apology and remorse that the Japanese government has itself expressed regarding its past history.

As building a future-oriented relationship between the two countries calls for a correct historical understanding by young generations, the ROK government hopes that the Japanese government will show a more responsible attitude in history education while facing history squarely.