[Seoul Yonhap News]South Korean educational groups are concerned about the Japanese government’s announcement of the test results of elementary school textbooks that weakened the compulsory description of the wartime conscription of those from the Korean Peninsula and strengthened the territorial claim over Dokdo. On the 30th, expressed regret and asked for correction.
A civic group holds a rally in front of the Japanese consulate in Busan on the 30th (Yonhap News)
The National Association of City and Road Education Superintendents issued a statement on the same day, stating, “We can’t help but feel indignation at Japan’s distortion of history, and we strongly demand that it be corrected immediately.”
He also insisted that the territorial claim to Dokdo should be withdrawn and that the compulsory conscription of those from the Korean Peninsula should be clarified.
The Federation of Korean Teachers’ Associations also called for the withdrawal of the test results, arguing that “historical distortion throws cold water on Korea-Japan cooperative relations for the prosperity of Northeast Asia.”
“Japan mobilizes the means of the state, equates the interests of the extreme right with national interests, and denies history without hesitation,” said the National Teachers Union. Also, while arguing that Japan’s distortion of history is a matter of diplomacy between nations, he said, “What is the (South Korean) government, which is responsible for managing the nation, doing? ,” he emphasized.
The Federation of Teachers’ Unions also issued a statement the day before, urging them to make corrections, saying, “Japan must teach its own history as it is, reflect on it, and never commit atrocities again.”
ynhrm@yna.co.kr
