Across Asia: ROK/Japan

Disputes on islands

Republic of Korea yesterday lodged a protest with Japan over a news report that said Tokyo planned to describe disputed islets between the two countries as belonging to Japan in school textbooks.

ROK Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan summoned Japanese Ambassador Toshinori Shigeie after Japan's largest newspaper, Yomiuri, reported Sunday that education authorities plan to refer to the islets as part of Japan's territory in middle-school textbooks to be used from 2012.

Seoul effectively controls the rocky outcroppings - called Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japanese - but Tokyo also claims ownership. The area surrounding the islets are believed to be rich in fish and possible undersea resources.

ROK was still waiting for Japan's official response to the Yomiuri report, foreign ministry spokesman Moon Tae-young said.

(China Daily 05/20/2008 page23)