South Korea’s teachers’ associations have protested the Japanese government’s authorization of middle school textbooks that contain territorial claim to the South Korean easternmost islets of Dokdo.

The Korean Federation of Teacher’s Associations said the move raises suspicions over Japanese desire to invade South Korean territory. It also said the decision would strain South Korea-Japan ties, which had warmed following South Korean support to Japan in the wake of the devastating earthquake and tsunami.

The federation added that it would teach South Korean students Dokdo’s history so that an increased knowledge and awareness will allow them to better understand the need to defend the islets. To that end, it will hold “Dokdo Day” events, bolster history education, and hold training sessions for teachers.

The Korean Teachers and Education Workers’ Union also said that the Japanese government’s actions are a refusal to take responsibility for its atrocities in Asia during its imperialistic past and are merely a demonstration of its nationalism. It urged the Japanese government to delete the passages on Dokdo in the textbooks.

The union went on to say that Japan must follow its own government regulations that says it should respect international interests and collaborative ties with its neighboring Asian nations when writing its textbooks.