[Editorial] Dokdo Is Our Land

The insistence of `up-to-date Japanese history` textbook in Japanese high school, that `Dokdo is Japanese land` is an absurd speech.

Dokdo is obviously our territory following any standard of historical evidence, geographical truth, or principle of international law.

And currently our country is dominating effectively; it is our judgment that Japanese absurd speech is just a blemish.

The imagination of textbook writers who put Dokdo among islands, which Japan seceded to Russia, winner of World War II, after being defeated in the war is surprising.

However, we should advise, as neighboring country, with regards to the `disease of distorting history`.

People of both nations know well how distortion of Japanese history textbooks in middle school worsened relationship of Korea-Japan.

Although Japanese Government avoided the issue of distortion of history textbooks, which `meeting for making new history textbook` wrote, choosing of the text book was not even 0.05 percent because of the efforts of civil groups and intellectuals, it is not a matter to be forgotten easily.

If distorting history and denying the reality is not the nature of Japanese, publisher should correct the wrong contents and Japanese government also should make an effort to solve out the matter.

The attitude of Japanese government is also doubtful as it excluded `Dokdo`, which is the most sensitive part, while informing new contest of history of Korean government.

Isn`t it making fool of Korean government by being on side with publisher?

If Japan persists with such attitude, we can`t achieve real friendship of Korea-Japan.

It has been only three weeks since Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro visited Seoul and agreed with President Kim Dae Jung to open first meeting of joint history research panel of Korea-Japan within April, in order to prevent distorting of history.

If trial to deny history and reality is repeated again, it is difficult to expect good results despite committee measures.