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Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday called "extremely regretful" remarks by Japan's controversial education minister that the island country's textbooks must state clearly that Korea's Dokdo Islets are Japanese territory.
Ban said Japanese Education Minister Nariaki Nakayama's comments Tuesday "made it doubtful whether, as minister responsible for approving textbooks, he is reflecting in the slightest on Japan's history or thinking even a tiny bit about the future of the Korean-Japanese relationship."
Ban said it was an "anachronism" for Japan "to teach its growing students that the Dokdo islets, forcefully occupied during the process of colonizing the Korean Peninsula, were Japanese territory." He said Seoul once again stressed its "resolute opposition." But Ban added, "Political, economic, social, cultural and personal exchanges will be maintained on the basis of Korea-Japanese friendship, and we shall go ahead with summits as scheduled."
Nakayama on Tuesday complained there was "nothing in the education guidelines saying the Dokdo and Senkaku islands are Japanese territory," and called for Japan's ownership of the islands to be "clearly written" when the guidelines are next amended.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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