Historical Retrogression

The Dokdo Islands are currently a source of controversy between Korea and Japan.
The Dokdo Islands are currently a source of controversy between Korea and Japan.

 

The Japanese government claimed in its Diplomatic Blue Paper for this year that Dokdo is a part of its territory. The Korean government, in response, announced an official statement and summoned Kenji Kanasugi, minister at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, to lodge a protest on April 7. 

“Yesterday, Japan adopted a middle school textbook distorting historical facts and, today, it reiterated its nonsensical assertions as to such issues as Dokdo, comfort women, and the Sankei Shimbun's former Seoul bureau chief, which is extremely disappointing,” said Lee Sang-deok, director-general of the Northeast Asian Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Japanese Ambassador to Korea Koro Bessho was also summoned on the previous day by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Jo Tae-yong with regard to the textbook controversy. 

“No matter how many times the Japanese government repeats the claims, the fact never changes that Dokdo was the first target of Japanese colonial rule in Korea, which has inflicted such great pain and sorrow upon the entire nation including comfort women,” the director-general continued, adding, “It would be wise for the Japanese government to stop its historical retrogression right away and think about why Germany is respected by the entire world.”

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