Envoy Reiterates Opposition To Japanese History Textbook

TOKYO - Kim Jong-pil, currently in Japan as a special envoy, conveyed the South Korean government's concerns about Japan's possible authorization of a controversial history textbook compiled by Japanese right-wing scholars to Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori.

"We hope that the textbook issue will not sour the currently friendly ties between our two countries," Mr. Kim was quoted as saying by Gazuyoshi Umemoto, an official at the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Northeast Asian division.

Mr. Mori responded that Japan's education ministry is currently reviewing the book according to its guidelines.

On Wednesday, Mr. Mori said that he would take special interest in the issue, "Considering that it is not appropriate to conflict with neighboring countries."

Four members of the ruling Millennium Democratic Party will visit Japan on Wednesday also to argue against approval of the textbook.

"We plan to protest against the Japanese textbook that distorts historical facts during our meetings with Japanese foreign and education ministry officials," said Park Sang-cheon, a member of the ruling party's supreme council.

"As the book's distortions not only concern Japan's, but also its neighboring countries' histories, we plan to demand corrections," Mr. Park added.

South Korea and China have campaigned to block approval of the book on the grounds that it contains inaccurate accounts of Japan's wartime crimes in Asia.

by Oh Day-young