1. The Government of the Republic of Korea expresses deep regret over the Japanese government’s authorization on March 29 of high school textbooks that distort historical facts according to Japan’s self-centered view of history. The ROK government calls for a correction.

2. Particularly, the ROK government strongly protests against the fact that the Japanese government once again authorized textbooks containing its preposterous claims over Dokdo, which is clearly an integral part of the ROK territory in terms of history, geography and international law. The ROK government makes it clear that Japanese claims over Dokdo are entirely unacceptable.

3. The ROK government also expresses strong regret over the alterations made in the expressions and descriptions on the issues of forced labor victims during Japanese colonial rule as well as “comfort women” victims of the Imperial Japanese Army, in a manner that dilutes their coercive nature. The ROK government urges the Japanese government to pursue history education based on the spirit of apology and remorse for its past history, as already expressed by the Japanese government itself.

4. The ROK government hopes that the Japanese government, while squarely facing history, shows a more responsible attitude toward educating its youth, as establishing constructive and future-oriented relations between the two countries depends on a correct understanding of history among the young generation, who will be shaping the future.