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On Oct. 25, 2022, Dokdo Museum Seoul was expanded and reopened in Yeongdeungpo Times Square, Seoul.

I would like to mention two key points to enjoy Dokdo Museum Seoul more, hoping it would make your time at the museum more interesting.

The exhibition theme, “Dokdo, Our Home and Our Land”

 Exhibition contents of Dokdo Museum Seoul are divided into the present, history, nature, and future of Dokdo. The exhibition halls are named Present Hall, History Hall, Nature Hall, and Future Hall, respectively. The overall theme of the exhibition is “Dokdo, Our Home and Our Land.” The exhibition theme contains two meanings.

 First, it means that Dokdo is Korean land. Land refers to home of our lives. Therefore, the life of people living in the land becomes the history of the land. The phrase, “Dokdo is our land,” means that not only is Dokdo Korean current home but also it has been historically recognized and used as a foundation for our lives.

 The nearby waters of Dokdo are community fishing grounds of Dodong Fishing Village Fraternity of Ulleungdo. People collect abalone, conch, sea cucumber, etc. here. Other fishers catch different seasonal marine products such as octopus, squid, shrimp, etc. by using fish traps, fishing rods, and fishing nets. There are also many Koreans stationed on Dokdo working as lighthouse keepers, guards, public officials, and emergency personnel. In Present Hall, you can see them in videos.

 In History Hall, you can see that Dokdo has historically been home to many Korean ancestors. Dokdo is, and was, a foundation for the life of people in Ulleungdo which is geographically close to Dokdo. After the liberation of Korea in 1945, fishers who came to Dokdo from Ulleungdo and even Gangwon Province to collect seaweed died due to bombardments. This is called the Jun. 8, 1948 Bombing of Dokdo. To protect their home themselves from Japan after the Korean War, local residents in Ulleungdo formed Dokdo Volunteer Forces. In History Hall, you can see literature and photographs showing the traces of those who have recognized and utilized Dokdo as their home.

 Nature Hall also shows that Dokdo is home to many Koreans. In Nature Hall, you can see the large-scaled (1:100) Dokdo model. The place names and facilities expressed in the model tell you that Dokdo has been home for many Koreans. A Lighthouse is located on Dongdo, and the accommodation for local residents are situated on Seodo. Local residents of Ulleungdo named the rocks where a lot of laver and seaweed grow Gimbawi Rock (gim: laver in Korean) and Miyeokbawi Rock (miyeok: seaweed in Korean), respectively. They also named the rock they used to sharpen thier knives Sutdolbawi Rock (sutdol: whetstone in Korean). In Nature Hall, you can also learn that Dokdo has been a foundation of life for people on Geomundo Island and haenyeo (female divers) from Jeju.

 The theme, “Dokdo, Our Home and Our Land,’ also imply another meaning. Dokdo is the home of future generations as well as current generations. Therefore Dokdo needs to be protected and managed. Dokdo Museum Seoul Future Hall contains such message. In Future Hall, you can learn and see a variety of values of Dokdo and the Korean government’s activities for the sustainable use of the island through kiosks. You can also see educational and PR materials to spread correct awareness of Dokdo and other types of relevant materials. I hope that the exhibition content give visitors a chance to think about how Koreans can keep and protect Dokdo and pass it down to future generations.

Another concept, “Two Islands Sharing the Same History”

 Dokdo Museum Seoul has another theme– “Two Islands Sharing the Same History.” There are two islands-Ulleungdo and Dokdo in the middle of the vast ocean named the East Sea. Historically, the two islands were recorded as Ulleungdo and Usando. The names of the two islands all originated from Usan of Usan-guk. According to ancient books including Dongguk Munheon Bigo (1770) and Mangi Yoram (1808), both Ulleungdo and Usando were territory of Usan-guk and Usando is Dokdo. Although Ulleungdo and Dokdo are two separate islands, they had been considered as one history, Usan-guk, until the 19th century.

 Usando (Dokdo) began to be considered a separate island from Ulleungdo after Sejong Sillok, Jiriji (1454). However, it was considered an annexe to Ulleungdo or as a pair with Ulleungdo. Dokdo was mentioned even during the boundary dispute of Ulleungdo between Joseon and Japan in the late 17th century, but the key subject of the dispute was Ulleungdo. It is natural that the destination of Dokdo depends on that of Ulleungdo.

 As shown in the Korean law-An accessory shall follow the disposition of the principal thing-the destiny of the small uninhabited island depends on that of the neighboring big island under international law as well. It was natural that the historical fate of Dokdo relied on that of Ulleungdo, given that Dokdo was a small uninhabited island for a long period of time. Therefore, the boundary dispute of Ulleungdo, the dispatch of search and subjugation officers to Ulleungdo since 1697, and the development of Ulleungdo in the late 19th century should be handled as part of the history of Dokdo.

 The historical fact that Dokdo was considered an annexe to Ulleungdo or a pair with Ulleungdo is shown in Dajōkan Order written by the government of Meiji Japan in 1877 mentioning “Ulleungdo and another island.”

You can learn about the history of Dokdo as part of that of Ulleungdo from the chronological table of a 1500-year-old history of Dokdo displayed at the entrance to History Hall. In other words, the history of Dokdo is the history of Ulleungdo. Dokdo first came forward in history when Japan illegally incorporated Dokdo into its territory in 1905. After 1905, Japan tried to separate Dokdo from the history of Ulleungdo through forced occupation, but it failed with their defeat in World War II. Dokdo was retrieved as part of Ulleungdo with measure by the Allies after the war. You can see the details through literature, maps, and videos in History Hall.

 In Nature Hall, you can learn close correlations between Ulleungdo and Dokdo through their ecosystems. Dokdo is a volcanic island formed 4.6 to 2.5 million years ago and an oceanic island that has never been connected to a continent. As a result, the terrestrial ecosystem of Dokdo couldn’t help being affected by its nearby island, Ulleungdo. Seeds are spread by wind, current, and birds. On Dokdo, you can see indigenous plants of Ulleungdo such as Korean bellflower and Ulleungdo stonecrop.

 The phrase “Two Islands Sharing the Same History” means that Dokdo is closely related to Ulleungdo historically, geographically, and in terms of international law. It shows that Dokdo is Korean territory.

Epilogue

 Dokdo Museum Seoul exhibits original historical records worth paying attention to, such as the Diaries of Historic House of Hanggil containing records about military operation on Ulleungdo, the Academic Research Plan on Ulleungdo and Dokdo by Corean Alpine Club, and the Complete Map of Joseon. You can also see the large-scaled Dokdo model showing Dokdo realistically, digital ancient maps of Korea, Japan, and the West, and the kiosk consisting of six screens in Future Hall.

 There is one more thing I would like to mention before finishing this article. It is security footage in Present Hall. It shows the real-time view of Dodong Village from Dokdo Observatory in Ulleungdo. Dokdo Observatory with security cameras is the place where you can see Dokdo, situated at the foot of Manghyangbong Peak where the watchtower of the Japanese navy was in 1904. The security footage shows Dodong Village including Ulleung-gun Office, which has been there since county head Sim Heung-taek in 1903, and Dodong Fishing Village Fraternity that is currently using and managaing Dokdo as community fishing grounds.

 I hope visitors can think about the history, the correlation between Ulleungdo and Dokdo, and stories of those who have been living on Dokdo as a foundation for a living as well as enjoy the beautiful view of Dodong Village through the security footages.

 I have looked at Dokdo in Seoul through that security camera. I hope visitors of Dokdo Museum Seoul can experience the view of Dokdo from Ulleungdo.