**’Japanese company compensation order’ – Introduction of Korean ruling “Change it”… For Dokdo, “Japanese territory” is enforced**
Korean civic group opposes textbook distortion and education defending colonial rule
In Tokyo, on the 25th, Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology held a screening examination for textbooks to be used in high schools starting in 2026. The examination committee pointed out expressions in political and economic textbooks related to the 1965 Korea-Japan Claims Agreement and the term ‘forcibly taken’ were problematic.
These textbooks described the issue of former forced laborers in Japan as “Koreans who were forcibly taken from the Korean Peninsula to Japan and made to work by Japanese companies.” The textbooks noted that while Japan insists that the compensation issues were fully resolved with Korea through the 1965 Agreement, Korean courts ruled in 2018 that individual claims were not extinct, ordering Japanese firms to compensate.
Although these descriptions are not erroneous, there was feedback suggesting that stating the issues remain unresolved despite the political agreements was problematic.
The civic groups Asia Peace and History Education Network and Asia Peace and History Research Institute critiqued the Japanese government for insisting that everything was resolved through the agreement, aggressively imposing this perspective in textbooks.
These groups condemned Japan for advocating one-sided logic in the context of forced labor disputes, ignoring the rulings of Korean courts.
The Japanese government has often expressed regret whenever courts in Korea rule in favor of forced labor victims against Japanese firms, asserting this violates the bilateral agreement. Additionally, Japan has insisted on applying a ‘third-party payment’ solution, where a Korean foundation pays the compensation instead of Japanese companies, using funds raised from the private sector.
Textbooks that didn’t describe Dokdo as Japan’s “inherent territory” were also highlighted during this screening, instructing students that Dokdo has historically been Japanese territory.
Asia Peace and History Education Network released a statement opposing Japan’s historical education that supports war and colonial rule, criticizing amendments that lead to distorted content, stating they overlook the legal and moral responsibilities of Japan’s colonial rule.
The Japanese government’s intervention in textbook descriptions is not new. While advocating for a future of Korea-Japan coexistence, persistent historical distortion in educational materials undermines growing trust.