Award Winning Works of 5th Int'l Essay Contest on Dokdo Silver Prize

Dokdo part of Korean identity

Silver Prize Alejandro Jade L. Evardone II This writer is a professor in Psychology of Metropolitan Medical Center College of Arts, Science and Technology.

The Dokdo Islands also known as Liancourt Rocks is a group of islets in the eastern part of South Korea composed of two main islands Seodo and Dongdo, and smaller rock outcrops in the East Sea of Korea or Sea of Japan.

Currently, it is administered by South Korea as part of Ulleung County, North Gyeongsang Province.

Both South Korea and Japan lay claim to this islands based on geographical, historical, and international law.

Geographically the Dokdo Islands proximity to South Korea is a strong point in claiming the sovereignty of this territory which is emphasized by its 90 kilometer distance from Korea's Ulleung Island rather than 157 kilometer distance from Japan's Oki Islands.

The Dokdo Islands are visible from Korea's Ulleung County while it is not visible from Japan on any day of the year.

The visibility from Korea accentuate that before any Japanese claim there is already an awareness of the existence and contact with these islands since ancient times using this as a fishing and seal hunting ground.

Various government records, land surveys, and maps show accurate geographical location and are even published in Japan acknowledge that Dokdo Islands belong to Korea.

In the Revised Complete Map of Japanese Lands and Roads made in 1779 Ulluengdo and Dokdo are outside Japan's longitudinal and latitudinal lines indicating it was outside Japanese territory.

In 1785, Japanese scholar Hayashi Shihei published Sangoku Tsuran Zuzetsu (An Illustrated Description of Three Countries) showed Elluengdo and Dokdo Islands as Korean territories.

Another map published by the Japanese government - Chosen Tokai Kaiganzu (A Map of the Eastern Coast of Korea) - published in 1876, places the islands within Korea's territory.

These maps clearly make a geographical acknowledgement by the Japanese government of its existence and belonging as a territory of Korea.

Historically the Korea's claim over Dokdo Islands is found on earlier precedents than the Japanese claim. As early as the Shilla Dynasty which was 1500 years ago there are records that this group of islands belongs to Korea.

The Island of Dokdo has been incorporated to the Korean territory since ancient times. Isabu or King Taejong of Silla incorporated Usan-guk currently Ulleungdo and Dokdo as part of Korea in 512.

This group of islands has been known to Korea as Dokdo since at least 1881. Prior to this, it was known to Koreans as Kajido, Sambongdo, and Sokdo.

The Japan's claim over Dokdo Islands started when Japan colonized the Korean peninsula in the early twentieth century.

The Japan-Korea Protocol of 1904 signed between Japan and Korea on Feb. 23, 1904 stated in article 3 that Japan guarantee the territorial integrity of Korea. Nakai Yosaburo, a fisherman from Japan recognizing Dokdo as a Korean territory attempted to submit permission to the Korean government through the Japanese Government in 1904 for exclusive rights in fishing and seal hunting on the island.

Instead of being referred to the Korean government he was dissuaded and in Sept. 29, 1904 submitted a request to the Japanese Home Ministry, to the Agriculture and Commerce Ministry, and to the Foreign Ministry.

On Feb. 22, 1905, Japan incorporated Dokdo Islands to the Shimane prefecture, declaring it ownerless even with the full knowledge that it is Korean territory and opposing its previous proclamation in 1877 of the Japanese Council of the State that Japan has nothing to do with these islands and it belongs to Korea.

Japan's annexation of the island in 1905 was one of the first actions of the colonization of the whole Korean peninsula.

The controversial Japan-Korea Treaty of 1905 depriving Korea of its diplomatic sovereignty which was not signed by the Korean Emperor Gojong and Prime Minister Han Gyu-seol was initiated by the Japanese government.

The Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty of 1910 made Korea a protectorate of Japan and led to domination on Korean politics.

After the defeat of Japan in 1945 from Allied Powers, Korea gained its independence after 35 years of Japanese occupation.

The Allied Powers applied Directive SCAPIN-677 and the Japanese government acknowledges that Dokdo is excluded from Japanese territories. On Jan. 18, 1952 South Korea announced the administration of Dokdo Islands and inclusion within Korean territory.

The continuing claim of Japan on Dokdo Islands since 1940's even after independence of Korea is a violation of the Korean sovereignty. Japanese initiative to settle the issue on the International Court of Justice has no basis since historically and geographically it is a Korean territory and has only been a part of Japanese territory in the past due to its colonization of the Korean peninsula.