A Story of Dokdo Island, A Korean Territory

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The name of Dokdo

Dokdo had long been called by various Korean names such as Usando, Sambongdo, Gajido and Seokdo. The most recent name of the island, Dokdo was first used in 1906 in 『Magistrate of Uleung county's report』by magistrate of Uleung county, Shim Heung-Taek and 『Maecheonyarok』by patriot, Hwang Hyeon in the end of Joseon Dynasty.

Administrative district and Geographical location

Location : The East longitude 131°52′/ The North latitude 37°14′
Distance : 89km southeast from Uleungdo, 160km from the Japanese island, Okishima
Dokdo can be seen from Uleungdo but not from Okishima in Japan.
Address : 1-37 mountains, Dokdo-ri, Uleung-eup, Uleung-gun, North Gyeongsang Province Natural monuments No. 336 (Designated by Cultural Heritage Administration in November, 1982)
Owner : The Republic of Korea
Size and Shape of Dokdo : Dokdo is consisted of 2 main islands called
Dongdo and Seodo and 33 attached small rocks and reefs. The gross area is 186,121m2
Dongdo (Post of Dokdo coast guards) : 99.4m above the sea level / about 65,000m2 in area
Seodo : 174m above the sea level / about 95,000m2 in area
Distance between Dongdo and Seodo : 110-160m / 3-10m in the depth of water

Dokdo - A Korean territory since 512 A.D.

Dokdo became the territory of Korea when Usanguk was annexed to Silla in 512(the 13th year of king Jizeung). (Sillabongi and Yeoljeon from 『Samguksagi(the three nations’ history book)』) Usanguk was an ancient small island kingdom consisted of Uleungdo and Dokdo(Usando).
The fact that Usanguk was consisted of Uleungdo and Dokdo(Usando) was recorded in various ancient documents and maps such as『 Sejongsillokjiriji』(published in 1432),『 Donggukyeojiseungram』(1481),『 SinJeungDonggukyeojiseungram』(1531), 『Gunjeong of Mangiyoram』(1808).
In addition, Dokdo was also called Usando up until that late 19th century, clearly proving Dokdo(Usando) was the territory of Usanguk.

A French geologist D’Anville’s 『Map of Joseon(Royaume de Cor?e)』 records Dokdo as a Korean territory.

The fact that Dokdo(Usando) belonged to Joseon along with Uleungdo was well known not only to Japan but also to the West. In 1737, famous French geologist D’Anville’s 『Map of Joseon(Royaume de Cor?e)』marked Dokdo(Usando) as a territory of Joseon. Uleungdo and Dokdo were drawn very close to the East Sea of Korea. In 『SinJeungDonggukyeojiseungram』, Usando(Dokdo) was drawn closer to the peninsula than Uleungdo, emphasizing that Dokdo belonged to Joseon(Korea).

Japanese ancient documents and maps mark Dokdo as a Korean territory.

『Eunjusicheonghapgi』published by Japanese government in 1667, which they claimed as the first document that recorded Dokdo, actually recorded that Uleungdo(Takeshima in Japanese then) and Dokdo(Matsushima in Japanese then) belonged to Goryeo and that the northwestern border of Japan is at Okishima. A Japanese scholar of practical science Hayashi Shihei published『 Map of Three Adjoining Countries』in 1785, which showed each country in distinct colors ; Joseon in yellow, Japan in green. In it, Uleungdo and Dokdo(Usando) in the middle of the East Sea were not only colored in yellow but marked as Joseon's territories.

Japanese government reconfirms Dokdo and Uleungdo as Korean territories at the end of 17th century.

During the Japanese Invasion of Joseon from 1592 to 1598, Japanese army invaded Uleungdo and Dokdo, killing civilians and stealing their properties. In order to minimize further loss of human lives, the royal court of Joseon enforced its ‘empty island policy’, ordering its people to evacuate the islands for safety. In the meantime, Tokugawa shogunate of Japan secretly gave two Japanese fishermen families 『Permission to cross to Takeshima』to cross to Uleungdo in 1618 and 『Permission to cross to Matsushima』to Dokdo in 1656, which allowed them to go abroad.
So, Japanese fishermen landed in Uleungdo. Soon afterwards in 1693, conflicts arose between them and the Korean fishermen including Ahn Yong-Bok. The lord of Japanese island, Tsushima took a central role in the conflict and instigated a diplomatic dispute to make Dokdo Japanese territory for several years. Joseon government maintained a consistent and strong stance on its sovereignty over the islands, and Japan finally gave up. In January of 1696, administrator of Tokugawa shogunate reaffirmed that Uleungdo and Dokdo belonged to Joseon. Accordingly, Japan forbade Japanese fishermen from fishing around these islands, and nullified
『Permission to cross to Takeshima』and 『Permission to cross to Matsushima』. Ahn Yong-Bok, a Korean fisherman from Dongnae participated in securing Uleungdo and Dokdo from Japan during this time.

Japan’s Meiji Restoration official document in 19th century confirms that Dokdo belongs to Korea.

Tokugawa shogunate ruined in January 1868, and the Meiji Restoration was formed. And the new government’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister dispatched high officials of the Foreign Office to Joseon for secret investigation on 14 items in December 1869. There was an order to investigate「 A circumstance that Uleungdo and Dokdo belong to Joseon」among them. Foreign Minister and Prime Mister, the highest Japanese government organization at that time, knew Uleungdo and Dokdo belonged to Joseon. The report on the secret investigation was 「The secret report investigation on Joseon’s national association」in 1870 and it is mentioned in『 Japan’s diplomatic note』the third volume published in 1930s by the Foreign Office of Japan. This is clear evidence that Japan also recognized officially Uleungdo and Dokdo as Korean territories.

Japan’s Department of the Interior reconfirms Dokdo as a Korean territory.

In 1876, Japan’s Department of the Interior ordered each province to create and send its own map and land registration map in order to make a modern map and a land registration map of Japan. At that time, Shimane sent an inquiry to the Department of the Interior, asking whether it should include Uleungdo and Dokdo in the East Sea. Japan’s Department of the Interior conducted an investigation for five months and confirmed that Uleungdo and Dokdo belonged to Joseon and thus were unrelated to Japan. However, citing the importance of the matter, the Department of the Interior decided to defer to the highest state organ, Prime Minister for the final decision on the issue.

The highest state organ of Japan(Prime Minister) concludes Dokdo and Uleungdo as Korean territories.

The highest state organ Prime Minister reviewed Department of the Interior’s consultation and in March 20, 1877, reconfirmed that Uleungdo and Dokdo belonged to Joseon and then sent an official order ‘To keep in mind that Uleungdo and Dokdo are irrelevant to Japan’ to Japan’s Department of the Interior. In April 9, 1877, Department of the Interior sent this official order to Shimane and ordered it to delete the two islands from its map since Uleungdo and Dokdo were not Japanese territories but Korean. This data further proves that Dokdo belongs to Korea.

In the late 19th century, Korean government clearly marks Uleungdo and Dokdo as its territories.

In response to illegal entrances to Uleungdo by the Japanese to take lumber and even to settle, the Joseon dynasty abolished its empty island policy in 1882 and started to allow its people to move into the island again. Additionally, the modern maps made after Gabo Reform(1894) clearly indicated Dokdo as a territory of Joseon along with Uleungdo. 「Daehanyeojido」in 1898 and 「Daehanjeondo」in 1899 of department in Daehan(Korean) Empire made clear Dokdo(Usan) as a Korean territory.

Daehan(Korean) Empire’s imperial ordinance order No. 41 in 1900 proclaims Dokdo as a Korean territory to the world.

As a part of preventive countermeasures to halt frequent illegal entrances to Uleungdo by Japanese, Daehan(Korean) Empire reformed its local administrative system. In October 1900, it issued the imperial ordinance No. 41 and so elevated Uleungdo had belonged to Uljin-gun to Uldo-gun and then appointed the Uldo county governor. Uldo-gun administered Uleungdo, Jukseodo(Jukdo) and Dokdo(Seokdo).
Additionally, this reform was published in the central 『Official Gazette』in order to promulgate it abroad as well. Through the imperial ordinance No. 41 in 1900, Dokdo as a Korean territory was firmly established again. When the 'empty island' policy was replaced by the 'move in' policy, numerous fishermen from the southwestern part of Joseon settled in the island. These settlers used 'Dolseom' which means to be consisted of rocks ('Dokseom' in Honam distinct dialect) more often than 'Usando', an official title of Dokdo. Thus, 'Dokdo' was written in Chinese characters according to phonetic transcription of it and 'Seokdo(Dolseom)' was written in Chinese characters according to its literal meaning, a "rock island". The Westerners called the island ‘Liancourt Rocks’, deriving the name from the ship that first drew in Dokdo in its maps.

Japan annexes Dokdo by force in 1905.

After bringing about the Russo-Japanese War in February 1904, Japan decided to build its Navy observatory at Dokdo in the East Sea. Just then, a Japanese fishery businessman Nakai tried to ask for a permission by Daehan(Korean) Empire's emperor to catch seals on Dokdo exclusively. The Japanese government very well knew that the island belonged to Korea but claimed Dokdo as an island with no owner but incorporate Dokdo into its territory during the cabinet assembly on January 28, 1905. And then Japan named Dokdo as ‘Takeshima’ and decided to place it under the rule of Shimane. Knowing that Dokdo was a Korean territory, Japan however did not record or promulgate this decision via 『the Official Gazette』.
Yet, since 512 A.D., Dokdo had been a Korean territory. Thus, Japan’s claim that it took it in because it had no owner had no legal or historic merit. When Uldo county governor found out Japan’s dispossession of Dokdo on March 28, 1906 and reported it to the central government through Gangwon provincial governor. And Daehan(Korean) Empire’s governor immediately censured the Japan’s illegal act. However, Daehan(Korean) Empire was annexed to Japan four years later on August 29, 1910 and Dokdo was returned to Korea when the country regained its independence.

In January 1946, the Allies releases military The command to return Dokdo to Korea.

When Japan surrendered to the Allies on August 15, 1945, Allies established its supreme command in Tokyo and began returning colonial territories to the nations that had originally owned them. On January 29, 1946, the supreme command released its military command No. 677 of SCAPIN and returned Jejudo, Uleungdo, and Dokdo(Liancourt Rocks) to Korea. Soon afterwards, on June 22, 1946, Allies’ supreme command released SCAPIN No. 1033 and forbade Japanese fishermen from coming Dokdo and the marine 12-mile belt of it, re-emphasizing Dokdo was a Korean territory. Military commands still have international legal force. Korea formed a government on August 15, 1945 and took the Korean peninsula, Dokdo and all offshore Korean islands as its territories from the Allies. And Korea was recognized the territories and sovereignty from U.N. officially on December 12, 1948.

The Allies’ 『Agreement Respecting the Disposition of Former Japanese Territories』rules Dokdo as a Korean territory.

The Allies promised for Japan to be re-independent in 1952 and tried to conclude peace treaty with Japan. In preparation for the treaty, the Allies composed 『Agreement Respecting the Disposition of Former Japanese Territories』in 1950. The article 3 of the agreement clearly stated that the Korean peninsular and all offshore Korean islands would be returned to Korea. Among the islands mentioned in the agreement were Jejudo, Geomundo, Uleungdo, and Dokdo(Liancourt Rocks), which clearly indicated that they were Korean territories. These are invaluable data clearly proving that the Allies ruled Dokdo as a Korean territory.

The Allies deletes Dokdo from 「San Francisco Peace Treaty」in San Francisco.

When the United States composed the draft of the「 San Francisco Peace Treaty」for the Allies, it included substantive enactment that Dokdo was a Korean territory from the 1st draft to 5th draft. When noticing it, Japan lobbied through American counselor to provide Dokdo as a radar base and meteorological observatory for the US Air Forces. As a result, the US marked that Dokdo was not Korean territory but Japanese territory in 6th draft. However, other allies such as the Great Britain, New Zealand, and Australia did not agree to the 6th draft of the US. So Dokdo was not mentioned in the 7th-9th draft. The article 2 of 「San Francisco Peace Treaty」ratified in San Francisco in September 1951 stated that Japan recognized the independence of Korea and relegated all rights of sovereignty in Jejudo, Geomundo and Uleungdo to Korea. And Dokdo was left out of it. So, Japan has maintained that the Allies recognized Dokdo as a Japanese territory.
This claim by Japan is factually inaccurate. Since Dokdo is annexed island to Uleungdo, to record just Uleungdo is that they recognized its annexed island Dokdo as a Korean territory automatically. As the same line, Jejudo for example, has annexed island Udo and just to reocrd Jejudo is that its annexed island Udo is automatically included as a Korean territory as well. Thus, the fact that thousands of Korean islands were not specifically named in the peace treaty should not and does not mean they became the territories of Japan by default.
Moreover, since 『Agreement Respecting the Disposition of Former Japanese Territories』(1950) drafted in preparation for the San Francisco Treaty, stated Dokdo as a ‘Korean territory’ in substantive enactment, although Dokdo was not mentioned in San Francisco Peace Treaty, you can say that Dokdo was recognized as a Korean territory.
Accordingly, Dokdo clearly belongs to Korea under international law, and the international society except Japan has shared the same view.

The U.N. Forces includes Dokdo into a Korean territory.

The United States Air Force practiced tactical bombing near Dokdo on June 30, 1948 and after that, a rumour got started that Dokdo was selected as the maneuvers base for the U.S. Air Force by U.S.-Japan Joint ommittee during the Korean war. So, Japanese government has claimed that these show the the U.N. Forces considered Dokdo as a Japanese territory.
However, facts contradict this claim. The Korean government expressed its timely opposition to it, and the commander of the U.S. Air Force responded by sending a letter to the Korean government on February 27, 1953 stating that Dokdo would not be used for that purpose.
In addition, when the Korean war broke out in June 1950, the U.N. Forces and commander of U.S. Pacific Air Force designated Korean Air Defense Identification Zone(KADIZ) in order to defend the Korean territory from sky and continues to use it to the present day. And they included Dokdo within KADIZ and has protected it as a Korean territory. The U.N. Forces considered Dokdo as a Korean territory and included its skies within the KADIZ. This is also supported by the fact the U.N. Air Force currently defends Dokdo as a Korean territory.

Japan’s proposal to take the Dokdo issue to the International Court of Justice must be turned down unequivocally.

Dokdo has been a Korean territory in historical, international legal, essential occupation. Korean has actual possession of Dokdo. If converted to a numerical scale, Korea’s right to the island would amount to 100, while that of the Japan would be 0. Despite Japan’s claim on the island, there is a world of difference between actually possessing that right and merely claiming it. There is no meritable dispute regarding the occupational right of Dokdo between Korea and Japan since there is only a unilateral claim by Japan.
Since 1954, Japan has made a strategic move to take the issue of Dokdo to the International Court of Justice as part of its plan to usurp Korea’s right to the island. In 1946, General Headquarters Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers decided Dokdo as a Korean territory and returned it to the U.S. military administration in Korea. When the Republic of Korea was formed on August 15, 1948, Dokdo was ruled by Korean as a Korean territory. On December 12, 1948, Korea was formally recognized as a sovereign nation by the U.N. and acquired the legal right to govern its territory, including Dokdo. Additionally,『 Agreement Respecting the Disposition of Former Japanese Territories』(1950) drafted in preparation for the San Francisco Treaty in 1951 stated Dokdo as a ‘Korean territory’ in substantive enactment. Therefore although Dokdo was not mentioned in San Francisco Peace Treaty, Dokdo was recognized as a Korean territory in 『Agreement Respecting the Disposition of Former Japanese Territories』and 『SCAPIN No. 677』. Since Dokdo has historically and legally been a Korean territory, there is no just reason to request a re-evaluation of its territorial status.

Introduction of Dokdo Institute & Dokdo Research and Preservation Association

Dokdo Institute

Established on March 1, 1996.
Scientific research organization on possession issue of Dokdo

Dokdo research and preservation association

Approved as a corporation aggregate on December 27, 1996(Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries)
It has 15 organizations to research and preserve Dokdo at present.

Major activity
It holds scientific meeting or forum every year.
It publishes scientific research magazines, books, data, public relations materials.
It has lectures.

Collection of books on Dokdo

1.「 Historical possession of Dokdo and international relationships」(1997), p217, Not for sale
2. Korea’s Territorial Rights to Dokdo : A Historical Study (1997), p218, Not for sale
3.「 The possession of Dokdo and territorial waters and marine sovereignty」(1998), p301, Not for sale
4.「 The sea area environment near Dokdo and basic research to prevent marine resources 」(1988), p254, Not for sale
5.「 Investigation on data for possession of Dokdo, the 1st volume」(1998), p332, Not for sale
6.「 Investigation on data for possession of Dokdo, the 2nd volume」(1999), p358, Not for sale
7.「 Investigation on data for possession of Dokdo, the 3rd volume」(2000), p450, Not for sale
8.「 Investigation on data for possession of Dokdo, the 4th volume」(2001), p513, Not for sale
9.「 Collection of learned papers on possession of Dokdo」(2002), p448, Not for sale
10. 「Research history on Korean possesion of Dokdo」(2003), p462, Not for sale

Dokdo research and preservation association

Homepage : www.dokdoinkorea.com E-mail : nieelcine@empas.com