N. Korea slams Japan for approving textbooks renewing claims to Dokdo

  North Korea on Sunday called South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo as "an invariable territory indigenous to the Korean people yesterday, today and even in the future," lambasting Japan for authorizing a dozen new school textbooks renewing territorial claims to the islets last week.

   In a commentary, the North's official Web site, Uriminzokkiri, made the remarks, adding that South Korea has unleashed a wave of anger and protest against Japan following its authorization of the school books.

   On Wednesday, Tokyo approved a series of textbooks claiming the islets as its territory. Two days later, it repeated its territorial claims over Dokdo as Japan's Cabinet approved the "Diplomatic Blue Paper" report for 2011 with claims to the islets.

   Shortly after the approval of the report, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak vowed to continue to reinforce South Korea's control of the islets, saying Dokdo "is our territory" no matter what happens.

   Uriminzokkiri also said Japan's move to claim Dokdo is tantamount to its failed militaristic ambition of controlling Asia under the slogan of "Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere," a phrase Japan used to expand its imperialistic influence across the region in the past century.

(Yonhap News)