MOFA Spokesperson's Statement on Japan's Diplomatic Bluebook 2014


The government of the Republic of Korea expresses its deep regret over the repeated inclusion of Japan's groundless claims to Dokdo, an integral part of the ROK territory, in the Diplomatic Bluebook unveiled by the Japanese government today, April 4.

The Japanese government should clearly see that its repeated groundless claims to Dokdo demonstrate Japan's failure to break out of the illusion of its history of imperialist aggression and will seriously undermine not only the ROK-Japan relations but also peace and stability in Northeast Asia. 


MOFA Spokesperson's Statement on Japan's Approval of Elementary School Textbooks


The government of the Republic of Korea strongly condemns that the Japanese government, following its approval of revised teaching manuals for middle and high school textbooks on January 28, approved today, April 4, elementary school textbooks that contain a higher-level provocation over Dokdo than in the textbooks approved in 2010.

Only three weeks earlier, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared at the parliament that his government would “inherit the historical perspective of former Japanese Cabinets.” The Japanese government should keep in mind that should it, despite this declaration, teach to its elementary school students Japan's history of imperialist aggression in a way that is distorted and covered up, it is making the mistake of not only breaking its own pledge but also isolating its future generations from the international community.

The ROK government clearly warns that if the Japanese government continues provocations over Dokdo through its textbook approval system, it will be long before the two countries could see improvement in their relations.