Dokdo Islets Dispute

[Anchor Lead]

The South Korean government has expressed strong protest against Japan's decision to publish elementary school textbooks, saying that the Dokdo islets are part of Japanese territory. However, the Japanese government pushed back by saying that children must be taught the right historic facts.

[Pkg]

"Dokdo is part of Japanese territory, which is currently occupied illegally by Korea." This phrase will be included in Japanese elementary school textbooks starting next year. The South Korean government strongly condemned Japan's move and demanded that the textbooks in question be withdrawn immediately. But the Japanese government rebuffed by saying that it's important to teach children properly about national territory and history, and that the textbooks had been approved in an unbiased way from a professional and academic perspective.

[Soundbite] Yoshihide Suga(Chief Cabinet Secretary) : "We have presented clear arguments regarding the stances of China and South Korea."

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party has also been making harsh remarks regarding issues concerning Korea and Japan. The party is demanding that the Japanese government take strong measures against the Korean courts' rulings to confiscate the assets of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as a way to pay compensation to the victims of Japanese wartime forced labor.

[Soundbite] Yoshitaka Shindo(Fmr. Japanese Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications) : "If acts that damage South Korea-Japan relations are allowed, trust between the two nations cannot be built."

One of the party members is calling for strong economic sanctions against Korea, even if that may affect Japanese businesses. The conservative Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun has reported that some of the party lawmakers even suggested that Japan sever its diplomatic ties with Korea.