Stop teaching future generations history littered with distorted facts
- Gyeongsangbuk-do Governor Lee Cheol-Woo strongly condemns news of Japanese school textbooks with incorrect facts on Dokdo Island -
Gyeongsangbuk-do strongly condemned the Japanese government on March 29 (Tuesday) for passing high school textbooks with distorted historical facts and baseless claims over Dokdo Island driven by a misguided sense of nationalism and biased view of history.
In an official statement of condemnation, Gyeongsangbuk-do demanded an immediate correction and formal apology from the Japanese government for approving multiple false claims, including baseless assertions that Dokdo Island, which is a sovereign territory of the Republic of Korea, is a “sovereign territory of Japan,” “Koreans have illegally occupied Dokdo Island,” and that the “Korean government is unilaterally claiming ownership of Dokdo Island,” in social studies textbooks Japanese high school students (sophomores and older) are expected to use from 2023.
Meanwhile, in February, the Shimane Prefecture of Japan came under fire from Gyeongsangbuk-do and Korea when it hosted a Takeshima Day event in an attempt to distort and misrepresent historical facts regarding Dokdo Island. Gyeongsangbuk-do convened the Dokdo Committee as well as experts and representatives from various fields to hold a “Gyeongsangbuk-do Dokdo Peace Management Public-Private Joint Conference.” At the Conference, participants proposed policy directions for future Korea-Japan relations and solutions for the Dokdo issue to explore means of responding more proactively and protecting Dokdo Island.
Gyeongsangbuk-do Governor Lee Cheol-Woo once again urged the Japanese government to “Immediately correct its deliberate distortion and misrepresentation of facts in its textbooks in order to ensure that future generations can gain an objectively true and correct perspective on history, and also to build a constructive and forward-looking future between the two countries.”
Statement of condemnation
regarding the accuracy of social studies textbooks developed for high school students in Japan
1. As the Governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do entrusted with the duty of governing Dokdo Island in Ulleung-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and on behalf of Gyeongsangbuk-do’s residents, I strongly condemn the Japanese government for its blatant attempt at distorting the historical truth pertaining to Dokdo Island, which is a righteous and sovereign territory of the Republic of Korea, and for unconscionably approving high school textbooks containing such wrongful claims over the Island.
2. Historically, geographically, and pursuant to international law, Dokdo Island is unequivocally the sovereign territory of the Republic of Korea. Gyeongsangbuk-do hereby clearly states that any wrongful claims over the Island by Japan shall not be tolerated.
3. Gyeongsangbuk-do once again urges the Japanese government to immediately rectify this distortion of the facts in its textbooks so that future generations can develop an objective and true perspective on history, and also encourages the Japanese government to become a willing participant in building a constructive and forward-looking relationship between Korea and Japan.
