Seoul Seoul has expressed concerns over a recent Japanese move to produce school textbooks containing what it sees as distorted or erroneous descriptions of Japans modern history, especially regarding its occupation of the Korean peninsula.
Choo Kyu-ho, director general of the Foreign Affairs-Trade Ministry s Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau, delivered the message to the Japanese Embassy in Seoul late last month, Choo told reporters.
In fact, the compilation of Japans textbooks has been one of the long-running diplomatic issues between Seoul and Tokyo, because the Japanese government and private textbook producers have tried to play down or distort Japans role in World War II, regarded as a war of aggression against Korea and China with atrocities committed on citizens of the countries.
Recently, a fraternity of rightist scholars authored a middle school textbook containing many controversial descriptions, which is now submitted to the Japanese Education Ministry for authorization. If it wins an authorization from the ministry, it can be adopted as a school textbook from 2002.
Choo said that the textbook contains erroneous descriptions of such issues as comfort women, or wartime sex slaves for Japanese soldiers, and Japan s colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.
At present, Japanese local governments can choose one history textbook for the schools under their jurisdiction among eight textbooks authorized by the ministry.