Members of a nongovernmental organization working to promote Korea ` s sovereignty over the Dokdo Islets stage a rally outside the Japanese embassy in Seoul on Monday . ( Yonhap ) Japan on Monday approved a batch of updated middle school textbooks carrying intensified claims to Korea ’ s easternmost islets of Dokdo , in another move that could dampen efforts to mend bilateral ties . The Korean government immediately lodged a protest , calling the decision a “ provocation ” against its sovereignty over its indigenous territory . Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae - yong summoned Ambassador Koro Bessho and delivered a written compliant . “ The Japanese government once again has staged a provocation by approving middle school textbooks that distort , downplay and omit obvious historical facts , ” ministry spokesperson Noh Kwang - il said at the news conference .   “ The Japanese government ’ s ceaseless injection of misleading historical views and territorial views based onto the country ’ s rising generations is no different from seeking to repeat past wrongdoings , while displaying a lack of resolve to take a responsible role as a trusted neighbor . ” The update follows an amendment of authorization standards in January 2014 which paved the way for the publishers to reflect Tokyo ’ s historical perspective in Japanese schoolbooks . In addition , a subsequent revision of teaching guidelines for middle and high school students recommended history , social studies and geography books state that Dokdo is Japan ’ s “ indigenous territory ” and “ illegally occupied by Korea . ” Of the 18 textbooks , which have been newly certified by Japan ’ s Education Ministry , 15 contain the first description and 3 the latter , up from nine and four in its last deliberation , which is held every four years . All four versions of geography texts and all but one edition of six social studies workbooks carry both statements . All eight history books claim that Dokdo was incorporated into Japan ’ s Shimane Prefecture in 1905 . Three of them were more elaborate , depicting Japanese fishermen ’ s activities in the waters surrounding Dokdo up until the late 1900 s . Seoul associated Tokyo ’ s persistent territorial claim with its imperial past that resulted in its illicit takeover of the islets a century ago . At the height of the Russian - Japanese war in 1905 , Japan clandestinely annexed outcrops to install communication and surveillance devices and collected intelligence on Russian naval movements in the East Sea . Japan returned Dokdo to Korea after winning the war , but then pushed to occupy the entire peninsula . Previous middle school textbooks have not portrayed Japan ’ s sexual enslavement of Korean and other women . But one has newly added accounts of the so - called “ comfort women ” and Tokyo ’ s probe into the issue and ensuing apology in 1993 . “ We ’ ve been closely monitoring the results of the latest deliberation , expecting that given last year ’ s policy changes the textbooks would include exacerbated content , especially with regard to Dokdo , ” a senior ministry official told reporters on condition of anonymity . “ While Dokdo - related content is relatively easy to assess , history entails cautious analysis before we demand revisions from Japan , as opinions among scholars here may diverge . ” By Shin Hyon - hee ( heeshin @ heraldcorp . com ) [ 우리 아이 영어 글쓰기 , 어떻게 교육 하 나요 ] 	 더 많 은 기사 보 러 가 기 → [ 코리아 헤럴드 홈페이지 ] [ 트위터 ] [ 페이스북 ] 	 구독 신청 1588 - 0533 	 <ⓒ KoreaHerald ( www . koreaherald . com ) 무단 전재 및 재 배포 금지 >