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April 2, 2010: South Korea’s National Assembly approves a resolution requesting that Japan withdraw approval of elementary school textbooks that show the Dokdo/Takeshima islets as Japanese territory. April 5, 2010: North Korean defector Hwang Jang-yup meets Japan’s minister in charge of the abduction issue. April 9, 2010: North Korea’s 12th Supreme People’s Assembly is held to approve government activities. Kim Jong-il does not attend the session. April 9-11, 2010: A joint survey by Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun and South Korea’s Hankook Ilbo shows that 57 percent of Japanese respondents think that Japan-South Korea relations are good while only 24 percent of South Korean respondents think bilateral ties are good. May 10, 2010: About 200 South Korean and Japanese academics, writers, and attorneys announce in a joint statement that the 1910 annexation treaty is null and void. May 15-16, 2010: Foreign Ministers from China, South Korea, and Japan hold a meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea. May 16, 2010: Foreign Ministers Okada Katsuya and Yu Myung-hwan meet on the sidelines of the trilateral foreign ministers’ meeting in Gyeongju. May 17, 2010: South Korean Dong-a Ilbo, quoting Japan’s May 15 Sankei Shimbun, reports that the Yokohama branch of the Japan Teachers’ Union boycotted the right-wing middle school textbook due to many “inaccuracies,” and created their own materials. May 22-23, 2010: Environment ministers of China, Japan, and South Korea adopt an action plan for the first time to battle global warming, yellow dust, and other issues in the coming five years. May 23, 2010: Japan, China, and South Korea trade ministers meet in Seoul to discuss regional economic cooperation. May 24, 2010: Prime Minister Hatoyama and Cabinet ministers discuss Japan’s possible responses to North Korea over the sinking of the Cheonan. Hatoyama calls President Lee Myung-bak to offer Japan’s support for Seoul’s punitive measures against North Korea. Japan-Korea Relations 133 July 2010 Japan-Korea Relations 134 July 2010 May 27-28, 2010: A UN panel queries Japan about children’s rights with reference to ethnic Korean school children that might be excluded from the high school waiver program. May 28, 2010: Japan’s Diet enacts a special measures bill into a law that enables inspections of cargo moving between Japan and North Korea. May 29, 2010: The third tripartite summit of South Korea, Japan, and China is held on Jeju Island, South Korea. May 30, 2010: Business leaders of South Korea, Japan, and China issue a joint statement at their second Business Summit on Jeju Island, urging their governments to pursue a three-way FTA. May 30, 2010: According to South Korean government data, the Dokdo/Takeshima islets are estimated to be worth of 1.09 billion won ($920,000), which marks a 6.3 percent increase from last year due to the discovery of natural resources and the increase in public interest. June 2, 2010: Hatoyama Yukio resigns as prime minister of Japan. June 3, 2010: South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Kim Young-sun expresses hopes for a mature, future-oriented relationship with Japan’s next leader upon Hatoyama’s resignation. June 3, 2010: North Korea expresses disappointment at Prime Minister Hatoyama’s resignation for his yielding to US pressure over the Futenma relocation issue. June 4, 2010: Democratic Party of Japan selects Kan Naoto as its new leader. June 8, 2010: Kan takes office as Japan’s prime minister. June 8, 2010: According to Arirang News, Korean Studies is gaining popularity in Japanese universities partly because of the Korean Wave. June 13, 2010: South Korean financial authorities announce measures to curb capital volatility. June 15, 2010: North Korea holds a news conference and warns of military response if the UN Security Council condemns its country over the sinking of the Cheonan. June 15, 2010: Prime Minster Kan says he will not visit Yasukuni Shrine as prime minister. June 15, 2010: A trader and his wife are arrested in Japan on suspicion of exporting cosmetics to North Korea against Japan’s ban of exporting luxury items to the North. June 26, 2010: The G8 meeting agrees to endorse the results of the international investigation led by South Korea on the sinking of the Cheonan. June 26, 2010: President Lee and Prime Minister Kan meet for the first time on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Toronto.