The World On arirang

The controversy over history textbooks has again risen to the surface with Tokyo's announcement of the screening results of the new reading materials to be provided to Japanese students.
In the new textbooks, to be used by second and third grade high school students from next year, the word "forced" has been deleted when referring to the Korean people who were forced into hard labor during World War II at Japanese mines and industrial facilities.
Related segments have been modified to say "mobilization" or "conscription" instead of "forced".
In addition, many of the books approved by Japan's education ministry have omitted the expression "wartime comfort women" when describing the Korean women sexually enslaved by Japan's imperial army.
Some of the books have also downplayed related historical facts.
However, when it comes to Dokdo, Korean islets in the East Sea, the textbooks reiterate Japan's false territorial claims over them, and accuses South Korea of occupying Dokdo in an illegal manner.
Following the announcement, South Korea expressed its deep regret.
Seoul's foreign ministry urged Tokyo to provide students with proper history education based on (quote) "the spirit of apology" that some of Japan's past leaders showed regarding Japan's wartime atrocities.
The ministry also summoned the deputy chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to deliver a formal protest.
On Dokdo, South Korean officials made it clear that none of Japan's claims are acceptable.
Also expressing its deep regret, Seoul's education ministry called for immediate revisions to be made to the books.
Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.