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Stories about DokdoDokdo, an Integral Part of the Republic of Korea Territory
Dokdo, an Integral Part of the Republic of Korea Territory
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First, Dokdo is visible from Ulleungdo with the naked eye on a clear day. Historical records, such as the History of Goryeo or Dongguk Munheon Bigo, say, "There are two islands in the East Sea. They are not far off from each other. A person on one of the islands can see the other island on a windy and clear day." The distance between Ulleungdo and Dokdo is 87 km, whereas the distance between Dokdo and the Oki Islands, the nearest Japanese islands, is 174 km.
Theoretically, a person standing at a spot in Ulleungdo Island at least 80 meters above sea level can see Dokdo. But it is said that the inhabitants of Ulleungdo Island used to be able to see Dokdo from Dodonghang port in Ulleungdo Island, which is not a high point. A few years ago, a team from the Northeast Asian History Foundation conducted a survey to determine on how many days a year one can see Dokdo from Ulleungdo Island. The answer was about 35 days, mostly on a day after a rainfall or a windy, clear day.
It is a very important fact that you can see Dokdo from Ulleungdo Island. It tells us that the people of Ulleungdo Island used to view Dokdo as a part of their daily lives. It is said that fishermen from faraway places like Jeju Island or the southern provinces would sail all the way to Ulleungdo Island because it was known to be a golden fishing ground. Dokdo is also their destination for fishing. The fact that they regarded Dokdo as a part of their daily lives meant that it was subject to the jurisdiction of the local government office in Ulleungdo Island. - Second, the importance lies in since when we or they recognized the existence of Dokdo historically. It is a known fact that the Sejong Sillok Jiriji(1454) used the name "Usando" to refer to Dokdo for the first time in the written history of Korea, regardless of how long before that Korean people actually recognized its existence. As for Japan, Dokdo first appeared under the name of "Matsushima" in Inshu Shicho Goki (Record of the Observations of Inshu, 1667) compiled by Hosen Saito. This shows that the Korean people's first recognition of the island precedes that of the Japanese by at least 213 years. In addition, Inshu Shicho Goki (Record of the Observations of Inshu) states that the northwestern limit of Japan's territory was the Oki Islands. Therefore, Dokdo lies outside the limit. This fact clearly shows that the Japanese did not recognize Dokdo Islands as lying within their territory.
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Third, the Meiji government of Japan clearly stated that Ulleungdo and Dokdo Islands were not part of its territory in its official documents and that they belonged to Joseon. The Interior Ministry of the Meiji government, which led Japan in its transformation into an early modern state, reviewed whether to incorporate Ulleungdo and Dokdo Islands into Shimane Prefecture in its compilation of a cadastral map. It contacted the Shimane Prefectural Office in an effort to check the relevant historical materials and documents.
At that time, things like the "petition for the development of Takeshima and Matsushima" appeared one after another in Japan in a bid to take Ulleungdo Island from Korea in connection with Japan's imperialistic ambition to dominate Asia. Thus, the Interior Ministry and the Foreign Ministry of Japan checked the relevant materials kept by the Shimane Prefectural Office, and the government and then the Dajokan (the Grand Council of State) concluded the matter of soverignty over the islands in question and issued its directive to the effect that "Takeshima and another island" (i.e. Ulleungdo and Dokdo) were not part of Japan's territory and that fact should be heeded." This is a historical material that proves conclusively that the Japanese government recognized Dokdo as a Korean territory.
