Ambassador to Japan to be recalled over textbook

The government will recall Ambassador to Japan Choi Sang-Yong Tuesday in connection with a controversial Japanese textbook that is judged to contain distortions of history.

Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Yim Sung-Joon told reporters Monday, ``We ordered the ambassador to Japan to return home in connection with the Japanese history textbook controversy in order to receive a briefing on recent developments and the government`s guidelines.``

The Korean government`s surprise action indicated that Seoul was taking a hardline stance on the Japanese Education-Science Ministry`s approval of the history textbook.

Ambassador Choi expressed the Korean government`s regrets over the textbook to the vice minister of Japan`s Foreign Ministry and notified the Japanese government of his temporary absence from Tokyo, government sources said.

Meanwhile, the government decided to launch a special inter-ministry team on Tuesday at the earliest to address the controversy. The team will be led by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, which will analyze the contents of the authorized textbook with the participation by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and Korean Information Service.

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