South Korea cuts Japan ties in book standoff

From text warfare to diplomatic skirmishes, the schoolbook standoff grows

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea has reacted to the row with Japan over war history texts by cutting military ties.

In a major escalation of the schoolbook standoff, two Japanese naval vessels have been denied permission to dock in the west coast port of Inchon in September, the defence ministry says.

And South Korea's chairman of the joint chiefs of staff had cancelled a visit to Japan planned for later this month.

The measures were the first announced since Japan told South Korea and China this week that it would not revise school text books that are said to overlook Japan's militarist past.

South Korea called off joint naval exercises with Japan in June and is moving to reconsider a schedule to open its market wider to Japanese culture, including videos and films.

"No high-level military exchanges between South Korea and Japan will take place for the time being," ministry spokesman Yoon Won-Jae said.

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He said the refusal to allow the planned port call by the two Japanese navy ships showed how seriously Seoul was taking the textbook row.

"The port call is a yard stick to assess the fundamental relations of the military exchanges between the countries concerned," Yoon said. "Japan should know what that really means."

South Korean President Kim Dae-jung has already said he is "shocked" by the Japanese government's refusal to order revisions to a series of controversial history textbooks.

"I cannot but feel shocked," Kim said, warning that the issue could imperil ties between the two countries.

He was speaking after being briefed by officials on Japan's official rejection of Seoul's demand for revision to the textbooks that critics say whitewash Japan's wartime atrocities.

Japan angered South Korea and other Asian countries in April by approving eight middle school textbooks, including one written by nationalist scholars who deny Japan committed documented atrocities during World War II.

In June, South Korea asked Japan to revise 35 textbook passages that it believes gloss over atrocities committed during Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910-1945.

South Korea was upset by the failure of those textbooks to mention tens of thousands of Korean and other Asian women who were forced to serve as sexual slaves for Japanese soldiers during World War II.

Japan responded by informing Seoul that it would revise only two of the 35 disputed passages.

President Kim showed his anger by refusing to meet a high-level Japanese delegation dispatched to seek Seoul's understanding of Tokyo's decision.

"How can people who lack correct knowledge of their country's history promote friendship with people of other neighboring countries?" Kim said.

"We can't condone this situation. Our government will continue to demand revision of the history textbooks," he said.

Economic impact

The controversy was a setback for Kim, who visited Japan in 1998 and pledged to put the issue of the countries' thorny history to rest and build a future-oriented relationship.

"I am shocked at the thought that all efforts I have made so far to build a truly friendly relationship with Japan may have to go back to square one," Kim said.

Japan and South Korea are close economic partners and co-hosts of next year's soccer World Cup.