The education ministry created a stir Friday by releasing a commentary on new high school curriculum guidelines that avoids directly naming a set of islets under South Korean control also claimed by Japan.</PARAGRAPH> <PHOTO> <TABLE WIDTH='250' ALIGN='RIGHT' BORDER='0'> <TR> <TD><IMG ALT='News photo' BORDER='0' SRC='../images/photos2009/nn20091226a1a.jpg' WIDTH='250' HEIGHT='190'/></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT SIZE='1'><B>Territorial talk: Education minister Tatsuo Kawabata speaks during a news conference Friday at the ministry. </B> KYODO PHOTO</FONT></TD> </TR> </TABLE> </PHOTO> <PARAGRAPH>In its nonbinding commentary on history and geography for guidelines taking effect in 2013, teachers and textbook publishers are requested to help high school students 'deepen their understanding of the territorial issue by adequately handling the matter on the basis of the position our country is reasonably advocating in light of studies at junior high schools.'</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>No mention of the islands, called Dokdo by South Korea and Takeshima by Japan, appears in the commentary.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>The guidance is meant to supplement the high school curriculum guidelines, which are revised about every 10 years. The commentary released Friday is compatible with the new curriculum guidelines to take effect in fiscal 2013.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>South Korean media noted that the ministry's new guidance on teaching territorial issues differs from the commentary it issued last year on how to conduct social studies in junior high schools. That guidance covered the sovereignty dispute by referring to the islets by the Japanese name.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>Cabinet ministers denied that the government has shifted its stance on the issue.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>The commentary concerns 'textbooks in our country' and the absence of the name Takeshima has nothing to do with 'diplomatic consideration,' Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano told reporters.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>Shimane Gov. Zembe Mizoguchi, however, said he was disappointed.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>'It was truly regrettable –

was not clearly stated," Mizoguchi said in a statement. Shimane Prefecture claims the Sea of Japan islets fall under its jurisdiction.

The only territorial dispute specifically mentioned in the new guidance referred to the four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido.

In Seoul on Friday, South Korean Foreign spokesman Moon Tae Young said the new manual "could cause negative effects on developing future-oriented relations between South Korea and Japan by infusing wrong territorial perceptions into Japan's future generations."

Moon also stressed that the islands belong to South Korea "no matter what claims Japan makes."

Senior Japanese vice education minister Kan Suzuki said the new teaching guides do not mention Takeshima because the ruling Democratic Party of Japan is trying to make the guides and guidelines shorter and simpler in order to give more discretion to schools.

The government should not care too much about other nations' opinions when deciding how territorial disputes should be explained to students, Suzuki said.

There are currently 14 certified high school geography textbooks available in Japan, 11 of which mention Takeshima.

Yonhap news agency reported that South Korea plans to call in Japan's ambassador to Seoul to file a protest. Moon said no decision has been made on whether to summon the envoy.

The rocky cluster of islets has long been a source of discord between Seoul and Tokyo, which once ruled South Korea as a colony.

When Japan announced the junior high school teaching manual last year, South Korea temporarily recalled its ambassador to Japan in protest.