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“instead of reacting then and there” to Japan’s efforts to make an issue of the islets.

President Lee Myung-bak said July 16 that Japan “is taking a long-term, strategic approach to making Dokdo a disputed territory and is methodologically moving step-by-step with such intentions.”

“With this in mind,” he said “We need to have a long-term appreciation (of the situation) in studying the response, instead of reacting then and there” each time Japan makes an issue of the islets.

Blue House spokesman Lee Dong-kwan went on to say that at the day’s weekly Cabinet meeting, President Lee also said Korea would take measures to better assert its territorial authority over Dokdo and “respond proactively to Japan’s attempts to distort history.”

President Lee is reported to have said that Korea needs a long term strategy for the research and study of Japanese attempts to distort history, in addition to those of China, by “strengthening the activities of the Northeast Asian History Foundation.”

“We needs to actively find ways to contribute to mutual peace and prosperity by jointly issuing Northeast Asian history textbooks with China and Japan,” he was quoted as saying by the Blue House spokesman.

Asked about a Yomiuri Shimbun report that said President Lee had asked Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo to postpone the listing of Dokdo as Japanese territory in middle school instruction manuals, the Blue House spokesman said “we have conveyed our protest” to the Yomiuri Shimbun and “are examining specific responses,” including legal action.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]