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South Korea protests textbooks calling islets part of Japan

South Korea on Tuesday lodged a strong protest with Japan after the Japanese education ministry approved history textbooks for elementary schools that describe a pair of South Korea-controlled islets claimed by Japan as Japanese territory.

Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yu Myung Hwan summoned Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Toshinori Shigeie to his office to deliver the protest and demand that Japan retract the approval of the five textbooks, one of which claims that South Korea "illegally occupies" the islets.

In the 15-minute meeting, Yu warned that the issue could seriously strain South Korea's relations with Japan at a time when emotions in the country are already running high with this year marking the 100th anniversary of the start of Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing a foreign ministry official.

Shigeie was quoted as saying both countries need to make sure that the issue does not adversely affect overall relations.

Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry spokesman Kim Young Sun said in a statement that Dokto, as the isles are known to Koreans, "is our integral territory in terms of historical, geographical and international laws."...
Read entire article at FOX News