By Kim Eun-young and Yoon Sojung

The Ministry of Education on March 28 expressed regret over history distortions in government-approved high school textbooks in Japan, demanding immediate corrections.

In a spokesperson's statement, the ministry said, "We express regret over Japan's approval of textbooks with history distortions less than a month since the Republic of Korea president said in his March First Independence Movement Day speech, 'Cooperation between Korea and Japan is a responsibility for future generations and Japan must face and be humble before history.'"

"We urge the Japanese government to immediately correct the high school textbooks that minimize and conceal war crimes, including the claim to Korea's indigenous land of Dokdo Island, which is clearly Korean territory according to history, geography and international law, and forced mobilization of Koreans for work and the Japanese military's 'comfort women' (sex slaves)."

Earlier that day, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology held a deliberation of its textbook review committee and approved 239 textbook editions for use from next year by students in the second or third grade of high school.

Certain textbooks claimed that Dokdo is "Japanese territory that Korea illegally occupies." The expression "forced mobilization" used to refer to Korean victims of forced work during Japanese colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula was changed to "mobilized" or "conscripted," and description of the sex slaves was reduced.

The Korean ministry said, "Students at Japanese elementary, middle and high schools who will learn from these textbooks containing history distortions will grow up with an incorrect mindset of history. This will hamper Northeast Asian efforts for peace and harmony and cause Japan to get further isolated from the international community."

"To build a future-oriented relationship with Korea, Japan must know that it has to empathize with the wounds of people from its neighboring countries through reflection on history and revision of the distortions in its textbooks that the future generation learns from as the first step to becoming a trusted member of the international community."

"To correct the Japanese government's history distortions and territorial sovereignty claims, the Korean government will bolster education on history and that on Dokdo for the public, including elementary, middle and high school students," the ministry added, "We will actively respond in cooperation with related organizations and private and civic groups."

eykim86@korea.kr