Chang-ho Lee, “Dokdo is Korean territory”

SEOUL--(Korea Newswire)--There is an increasingly loud call for re-examination on the dealing strategy of Korean government regarding Dokdo issues in reference to the recent attempt of Japanese lawmakers of Liberal Democratic Party to visit Ulleungdo. Especially because Japan‘s ambition to plunder Dokdo is getting gradually conspicuous, there are limits to respond only through ’friendly diplomacy.'

Things are moving into quite different direction. Following the release of authorized textbook claiming Japan‘s possession of Dokdo in last March, Japan has released a White Paper specifying Dokdo as Japanese territory today. The experts are saying that it is not appropriate for the Korean government to give an impulsive response to the temporary situations nor to respond at ease by putting forward ’friendly diplomacy.' The experts advise to “prepare a decisive and strategically elaborate plan in consideration of the long-term national interest.”

Clearly, Dokdo is a cluster of Korea‘s easternmost islets. According to Korean administrative district, Dokdo is placed placed across Dokdo-ri 1~96, Ulleung-eup, Ulleung-gun, Gyeongbuk, Korea. It is located at longitude 131°51’~131°53‘ east and latitude 37°14’00“~37°14'45” north. Dokdo has been called as Sambong-do, Woosan-do, Gaji-do, and Yo-do from old days and has been renamed as Dokdo in 1881(Gojong 18).

The reason why the island is attracting attention is because it is located at the easternmost of Korea‘s East sea. Dokdo is Korean territory. It is not just a stubborn persistence but it is verified by history and recognized by the universe. It is not just a recent occurrence that there were condemnations such as “Japanese are looking down on us due to our weak national power,” “Japanese are saying absurdly ludicrous words,” etc. of Japan’s claiming on Dokdo sovereignty.

However, it is a question that until when we are only going to condemn Japan‘s conduct of spreading not just a simple diplomatic conflict but a completely false information to their people by even distorting the textbooks. There has been a lot of articles regarding Dokdo and Japan’s atrocities.

If I were to present the pent-up anger and resentment, I could let out blistering remarks toward Japan. But in this article, I am going to restrain my feelings and address the reason why Dokdo belongs to Korea in a simple and clear way.

First, let‘s look at historical reasons. According to Silla Bongui Yuljun(Biography of kings of Silla Kingdom) in‘Samguksagui(The Chronicles of the Three States)’, Dokdo is clearly mentioned as Korea’s indigenous land since the Silla Kingdom annexed Usanguk in 512( 13th year of Silla King Jijeung era). It is also documented in all kinds of old documents and maps such as Sejong sillok jiriji(Geographical Appendix to the Ve3ritable Records of King Sejong), Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam, Sinjeung Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam(Revised Edition of the Augmented Survey of the Geography of Korea), and Man-gi Yoram(Book of Ten Thousand Techniques of Gevernance). Also in Chosun Wangguk Jundo, a map drawn by a famous French geographer D'anville in 1737, Dokdo(then Usando) is drawn as territory of Chosun Dynasty.

But the important thing is that there are documents proving that Japan themselves are claiming that Dokdo is Korean territory.

In Eunju Chunghapgi, an ancient writing of 1667 compiled by Japanese government, Ulleungdo and Dokdo is marked as ‘Chosun’s belongings,‘ and there is also a record saying that the Japanese government has banned Japanese fishermen to go fishing in Ulleungdo and Dokdo in 1696. Moreover, the Japanese Diplomacy Document of Japan’s ministry of foreign affairs contains proof references claiming that ‘Ulleungdo and Dokdo is affiliated with Chosun. In particular, Japan’s Home Office has decided and notified Shimane that Ulleungdo and Dokdo are Korean territories and therefore not related to Japan. After re-examining the report of Home Office‘s decision, Japan’s Taejunggwan(the highest organization in Japan) has confirmed that Ulleungdo and Dokdo are Korean territories in March 20, 1877, and gave instruction to the Home Office to ‘be aware of the fact that Ulleungdo and Dokdo have no relations to Japan.’

As it goes up to modern times, there are more empirical documents that are more clearly showing that Dokdo belongs to Korea. In modern Korean maps drawn after the Gabo Reform of 1894, Korea has placed Ulleungdo and Dokdo on a right location and made a clear point that the islands are Korean territories. Later in 1900, Korean empire has declared to the world that Dokdo is Korean territory, and the Western people called Dokdo as ‘Liancour Rocks.’

Things were the same after the independence. In 1945, the supreme headquarters of the allied powers have excluded Jejudo, Ulleungdo, and Dokdo, which were near Korean peninsula, from Japan's sovereignty and returned to Korea. And in 1950, the allied powers have once again clarified that Dokdo is the territory Japan should return to Korean. The UN forces recognized Dokdo as Korean territory in 1950 so that it can be defended together with Korean peninsula.

The empirical documents listed above show how dull and obstinate Japan is in claiming that Dokdo is their territory. And I believe Japan themselves acknowledge these facts. But the fact that they have continued their preposterous claims and distorted the history through textbooks, despite their awareness of the truth, can only be understood as waging psychological warfare taking advantage of their national power.

I would like to tell a brief story to the Japanese lawmakers of Liberal Democratic Party and a professor with conservative propensity. “A pine tree has an honorable figure from a long distance. However, if it is seen closely, it shows its parsimonious nature. The pine tree never allows any plants to take their root in its territory. Try to plant a flower in a pot with soil extracted under the pine tree. No flower can bloom in a good condition. That is why the pine tree cannot join among the noble trees unlike bamboo.”

The author can strongly claim that Dokdo, an island that has never, ever, lost its self-respect and is loved by the universe, is Korean territory.

* Article: Lee, Chang-ho(李昌虎50-year-old)Korean Expert/ New Intellectual /Lee, Chang-ho Speech Leadership Research Center, Rep. / The first Speech Consulting Instructor

Website: http://www.speechkorea.org

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