Marine Police and Navy to Hold Joint Training Session at Dokdo

The evaluation of Japanese textbooks, which is to be publicly announced around 5:00 p.m. on April 5, has found that the Japanese government has failed to reflect the Korean government’s request to correct historical facts in its textbooks, and this will aggravate the already sour state of Korea and Japan’s relationship It was reported on April 4 that the Korean government has reviewed copies of approved Japanese textbooks and evaluated them to have been made worse because the civics textbook contains a photograph of Dokdo and Japan`s claim on the territory, while the history textbook remained the same quality despite some partial improvements.

In response, the Korean government is set to issue a statement on April 5 to criticize Japan’s distortion of history and exert all possible efforts through a coalition of political circles, academia, and civic groups to cut the chances of having these historically incorrect textbooks be designated for school use.

The government held a States Council meeting on the morning of April 4 and discussed these measures.

“Japan’s attitude of causing conflicts in the international community is unbecoming of its status in the global community,” Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan said at the meeting and added, “This only signifies how outdated its diplomatic status is in comparison to its economy.”

Meanwhile, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman, Kim Mahn-su announced that “a joint training exercise hosted by the National Maritime Police Agency is to be held to examine the “Dokdo Risk-management Protocol,” which was prepared by the National Security Council in September of last year, and to make sure it is in working order,” and added that “the schedule has not been firmly set, but it will take place around the end of April or May.”

Kim said, “Though it is a joint operation by the marine police and the navy, naval vessels will not be employed in the training,” and explained that, “from what I’ve heard, the navy is to be involved indirectly in providing related information and such.” He also added that “this operation was already included in the schedule prior to the Dokdo issue attracting attention.”

Jung-Hun Kim Jong-Koo Yoon jnghn@donga.com jkmas@donga.com