Government Expresses "Strong Regret and Urges Correction" Over Japan's Distorted Textbooks... Summons Japanese Charg? d'Affaires

"Cannot Accept Unjust Claims on Dokdo"
"Coercion of Comfort Women and Forced Labor Diluted"

The government expressed deep regret on the 25th over Japan passing textbooks that distort history through screening and urged correction.

The Charg? d'Affaires of the Embassy of Japan in Korea summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 25th. Photo by Yonhap News

In a spokesperson's statement on the same day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "The government expresses deep regret over the Japanese government passing high school textbooks that distort historical facts based on a Japan-centric view of history, and urges correction."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly protested that "the Japanese government once again passed textbooks containing unjust claims about Dokdo, which is clearly our inherent territory historically, geographically, and under international law," and emphasized, "We clearly state that we cannot accept any claims by Japan regarding Dokdo."

Furthermore, it criticized, "The government strongly regrets the Japanese government’s tolerance of textbooks that include many distorted historical contents, such as descriptions that dilute the coerciveness related to the issue of Japanese military comfort women victims and forced labor."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs added, "We urge the Japanese government to sincerely practice the spirit of apology and reflection on past history that it has itself revealed," and "Since a future-oriented bilateral relationship must be based on a correct understanding of history, we expect the Japanese government to take a responsible attitude in educating future generations."

On the afternoon of the same day, Kim Sang-hoon, Director of the Asia-Pacific Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, summoned Daisuke Mibae, Minister-Counselor of the Embassy of Japan in Korea, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Seoul to protest.

Upon entering the building, Minister-Counselor Mibae did not respond to reporters’ questions such as "Do you not think the textbook issue negatively affects Korea-Japan relations?"

The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology held a general meeting of the textbook screening council on the same day and finalized the review results of social studies textbooks to be used by frontline high schools from 2026.

According to the Japanese news agency Jiji Press, geography, history, and civics textbooks all dealt with Dokdo, and there were cases where the incorrect content stating "Japan’s inherent territory" was added through screening.

Additionally, in political and economic textbooks, the phrase "taken to Japan from the Korean Peninsula" was changed to "mobilized" through the screening process.