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The Liancourt Rocks (Japanese:Takeshima (竹島) "bamboo island"; Korean: Dokdo(독도/獨島) "solitary island") are a group of islets in the Sea of Japan (East Sea), whose ownership is disputed between Japan and South Korea. South Korea currently occupies the islands, an action that continues to draw official protests from Japan. The name "Liancourt Rocks" comes from the French whaling ship Liancourt which charted the islets in 1849. Today, South Korea classifies the islets as a part of Ulleung County, North Gyeongsang Province, while Japan classifies them as part of Okinoshima, in Oki District, Shimane Prefecture.

Geography

The Liancourt Rocks are composed mainly of two islets, 150 meters apart (Nishi-jima and Higashi-jima in Japanese, Seodo and Dongdo in Korean; both literally meaning western island 西島 and eastern island 東島, respectively). The western islet is the larger of the two islets. Altogether, there are about 90 islets and reefs, volcanic rocks formed in the Cenozoic era. A total of 37 of these islets are recognized as permanent land. In 2006, a geologist reported that the islets formed 4.5 million years ago and are quickly eroding.

The total area of the islets is about 187,450 square meters (2,017,695 sq ft), with their highest point at 169 meters (554 ft) in the western islet. The western islet is about 88,640 square meters in area; the eastern islet about 73,300 square meters. Liancourt Rocks are located at about 131°52′ East longitude and about 37°14′ North latitude. The western islet is located at 37°14′31″N 131°51′55″E / 37.24194°N 131.86528°E / 37.24194; 131.86528 and the eastern islet is located at 37°14′27″N 131°52′10″E / 37.24083°N 131.86944°E / 37.24083; 131.86944. The islets are 217 km (135 mi) from mainland Korea and 250 km (150 mi) from mainland Japan. The nearest Korean territory (Ulleung-do) is 87 km (54 mi) away (can be visible on clear days) and the nearest Japanese territory (Oki Islands) is 157 km (98 mi) away.

The western islet consists of a single peak and features many caves along the coastline. The cliffs of the eastern islet are about 10 to 20 meters high. There are two large caves giving access to the sea, as well as a crater.

Economy and tourism

As of 2005, only 26 Japanese citizens have registered the islets as the location of their registry, while thousands of Koreans do the same. In 1999, South Korea requested the Japanese government refuse to permit new residents, but Japan responded that it could not "bar its residents from shifting census registration as the island is part of territory." At least two civilians are permanent residents. The Korean government allegedly subsidizes their living there in order to justify a claim of habitation.

There is a regular ferry service from Ulleung-do to Liancourt Rocks. There were 1,507 and 1,597 recorded tourists in 2003 and 2004 respectively. Due to their status as a nature reserve, special permits are required for tourists seeking to land on the islets rather than just circling them.

Although the islets themselves are barely habitable, the Exclusive Economic Zone surrounding them has rich fishing grounds and possible reserves of natural gas. As of 2006, the expected reserves have not been found. A wide variety of fish as well as seaweed, kelp, sea slugs, and clams are located around the islets. Major fishery catches in the area are squid, Alaskan pollock, codfish, and octopus. There are 102 species of seaweed, although many of these have no economic value.

Until relatively recently, this was one of the largest breeding grounds of sea lions (Zalophus californianus japonicus) and a good spot for hunting them and also a spot for Japanese fishermen to obtain abalone at the end of the Meiji period (1868–1912). Until the 1950s, sea lions were observed on Liancourt Rocks by voluntary guards.

There are approximately 37 South Korean police that guard the islets. Also, there are Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries personnel, and three lighthouse keepers living on the islets in rotation. In the past, several fishermen also lived there temporarily.

In 2005, the first recorded wedding ceremony was held on Liancourt Rocks. The South Korean couple chose the location to protest against Japanese territorial claims.

Climate

Due to its location and extremely small size, the Liancourt Rocks sometimes have harsh weather. At times, ships are unable to dock because of strong northwestern winds in winter. Overall, the climate is warm and humid, and heavily influenced by warm sea currents. Precipitation is high throughout the year (annual average—1324 mm), with occasional snowfall. Fog is also a common sight. In the summer, southernly winds dominate. The water around the islets is about 10 degrees Celsius in spring, when the water is coolest. It warms to about 25 degrees Celsius in August.

Ecology

The islets are volcanic rocks, with only a thin layer of soil and moss. About 80 species of plants, over 22 species of birds, and 37 species of insects have been recorded on the islets, in addition to the local maritime life. The islets are too small to have any significant amount of fresh water.

In the early 1970s trees and some types of flowers were planted. Trees are required under international law for the islets to be recognized as natural islands rather than reefs.

The Liancourt Rocks were declared "Natural Monument #336" by South Korea in the 1990s. While home to some birds, the islets mostly provide temporary refuge for birds migrating elsewhere. They serve as a home to Fork-tailed Storm-petrel, Streaked Shearwater, and Black-tailed Gulls. The population of breeding birds counted on the rocks, however, has been declining in recent years.

In 1999, the islets were designated a special environmental protected area by the South Korean government. They predate any Korean volcanic islands.

It was announced in 2005 that three new genera and five new species of bacteria had been identified by ROK scientists in the waters off Liancourt. The genera are Dokdonella koreensis, Dokdonia donghaenensis, and Donghae dokdoensis. The newly identified species are Virgilbacillus dokdoensis, Maribacter dokdoensis, Marimonas dokdoensis, Polaribacter dokdoensis,, Sphingomonas dokdonensis, Isoptericola dokdonensis, Porphyrobacter dokdoensis, Stenotrophomonas dokdonensis and Variovorax dokdonensis.

Strategic location

The islets are of importance not only for economic reasons, but also for military reasons . They have occasionally served a military purpose, such as a temporary watchtower during the Russo-Japanese War. The South Korean government has built a radar station and helicopter landing pad on the islets, enabling it to track foreign naval forces. The 37 police on the islets serve as armed guards.

History of the territorial dispute

The territorial dispute over the islets focuses on the legitimacy of Japan's incorporation of the islets into Shimane Prefecture in 1905, disagreements over whether Korea ever had effective administrative control over the islets before this date, and the status of the islets following Japan's defeat in the Second World War.

Scholars disagree on who first had administrative control over the islets due to ambiguities in early historical records and maps, partly due to changes in the names of the islands in the area over the years.

The Three Kingdoms period

In 1145, Samguk Sagi (Chronicles of Three Kingdoms) recorded that the state of Usan (Usan-guk), an island kingdom located on Ulleung-do, was conquered and "re-integrated" into Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, in 512. Samguk Sagi also mentions that another name of Usan-state is Ulleung-do.

Korea suggests that the rocks were called Usan-do and were a part of Usan-guk, based on later Joseon dynasty records such as the Yeojiji and Man'gi yoram. However, Japanese historians reject the theory that the Liancourt Rocks were a part of Usan-guk.

The Joseon and Edo Period

Taejong-sillok (태종실록 Annals for King Taejong) recorded that 60 people were living on Yusan-guk (유산국 流山國, Yusan-state-island). According to a 1417 government report, there were 86 usando inhabitants in 1412.

The Sejong Sillok (세종실록 "Chronicle of King Sejong", 1432) mentions Usan-do , but interpretation of the context is disputed. Korean scholars interpret the text as: "Usan-do (우산도 于山島) and Mureung-do (무릉도 武陵島, a former name of Ulleungdo), located in the sea east of the Uljin Prefecture, are close enough to each other that in clear weather the two islands come into view ". This constitutes clear evidence that Usan-do refers to the Liancourt Rocks, the only island that is visible from Ulleungdo only in clear weather. Japanese scholars interpret the latter part as "come into view from mainland Korea" from the rule of the Korean topographical record. Some others argue that Usan-do refers to Juk-do locating 4 km east of Ulleungdo or doubled Ulleungdo. (The Chinese characters 竹島 are read as Juk-do in Korean and Takeshima in Japanese.)

The Dong'guk yeoji seungnam (동국여지승람 "Augmented Geography Survey of the Eastern Nation (Korea)", 1481) defining Korea's territory, stated that "Usando and Ulleungdo are under the jurisdiction of Uljin-hyeon of Gangwon-do as an administrative unit. However, Don'guk yoji sungnam also mentions that the tree and the beach could be clearly seen on a fine day and thus there is another theory that Usan-do and Ulleung-do are the same island, as trees cannot grow on Liancourt Rocks and the two islands are 90 km apart. Moreover, Korea interpreted the same record as the record that saw Ulleungdo from the peninsula in 1694 when the dispute of possession of Ulleungdo was occurred with Japan. The 1531 revision of this book includes the Paldo Chongdo ("Map of the Eight Provinces"), showing two separate islands of Usan-do and Ulleung-do in the middle of the Sea of Japan. Usando is drawn to the west of Ulleungdo (The Liancourt rock is to the east of　Ulleungdo).

Man'gi yoram ("Handbook of State Affairs") from 1808 quotes the earlier Yeojiji ("Gazette") that Ulleungdo and Usando all belonged to Usan'guk and Usando is what Japanese call Matsushima, i.e., present Liancourt Rocks. However, the transcript of Yeojiji was discovered by a Korean scholar recently. Yeojiji stated that "Usan-do and Ulleung-do are spoken of as the same island, too." Therefore, a Japanese scholar points out the fabrication by the author of the Man'gi yoram about the quotation part concerning Yeojiji.

on the Korean cartographs, (by Chong Sang-gi, 1678~1752), Haejwa Jeondo (1822), and Dongguk Jeondo (by Kim Tae-gon, 1821–1846), Usando is displayed. From the Korean point of view, this islet is Liancourt, but Japan construes this to be Juk-do from the distance, shape, size, and direction.

From the early fifteenth century to the aftermath of the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598), the government in Korea was unable and unwilling to maintain a civilian population on both Ulleung-do and Usan-do. According to the Taejong Sillok ("Chronicle of King Taejong"), the mainland government forcibly evacuated the islands during his reign as according to the "vacant island policy" and thus the islets was only occasionally populated by permanent settlers up to the seventeenth century (a permanent population existed only on Ulleung-do). Following the war, the islands were completely vacated.

Takeshima Tōkai Yuraiki Bassho Hikae, written by Ōya Kyuemon, records that in 1618 the Tokugawa Shogunate granted the Ōya and Murakawa families of Yonago fishing rights, and in 1661, feudal tenure, of "Takeshima", which then referred to Ulleung-do. On the way to Ulleung-do, Japanese fishermen sometimes used the islets, then called in Japanese "Matsushima" (松島), as an intermediate port of call. From the Korean point of view, the grants were invalid because the islets were Korean territory.

In 1677, the Japanese record Onshu shicho goki ("Records on Observations in Oki Province") was compiled by Saito Hessen in 1667. Saito was a retainer of the daimyo of Izumo (sesshu) and at his lord's behest made an observation trip to Oki Island whereupon he submitted these records to his lord. The record reports the following:

Oki is in the middle of the North Sea and is called Okinoshima. Going further from there for two days and one night in a northwesterly direction, one reaches Matsushima. Also there is Takeshima at another day's travel. These two islands are uninhabited and viewing Goryeo from there is like viewing Oki from Onshu. And thus this "州" marks the northwestern boundary of Japan.

• There are two interpretations abour "州". One is Oki prefecture and another is a Takeshima(Ulleungdo).

Considering that this report was compiled from the view of Japan, Matsushima (the closer island) refers to Liancourt Rocks and Takeshima (the farther island) refers to Ulleungdo.

In 1695 the Shogunate inquired to Tottori (Shimane Prefecture) if Takeshima (Ulleungdo) and Matsushima (Dokdo) were part of Imbashu or Hoki districts where the Oyas and Murakawas of Yonago resided.

The Shogunate inquired: Since when has Takeshima (Ulleungdo) as part of Inaba District (因幡)and Hoki District (伯耆), become under these two's jurisdiction? Is it before or after the year 1632, when the ancestors was given land? Besides Takeshima (Ulleungdo) are there any other islands that are within the two areas jurisdiction?

Tottori (Shimane) replied: Takeshima does not belong to Inaba District (因幡) nor Hoki District (伯耆). There are no other islands belonging to the two districts including Takeshima (Ulleungdo) and Matsushima (Dokdo)

The An Yong-bok incident

In the spring of 1693 about 40 Korean fishermen from Busan and Ulsan clashed with the Otani and Murakawa fishermen at Ulleung-do. Ahn Yong-bok (안용복) and Pak Eo-dun (박어둔) were captured and taken to the Yonago in the Tottri clan (modern-day Yonago city and Tottori Prefecture). An was detained in Otani's house in Yonago for two months, and investigated by the Tottori clan. The shogunate ordered to send them to the Nagasaki magistrate place, and to send them to Tsushima clan in addition. An was held hostage by the lord of Tsushima clan (So Yoshitsugu) again. When An was repatriated to Korea, the Tokugawa Shogunate demanded the prohibition of Koreans going to Ulleung-do. This led to diplomatic friction between Japan and Korea. After An was repatriated to Korea, he testified that "the Kanpaku (Imperial regent) of the Tokugawa Shogunate made a note that confirmed Ulleungdo as Korean territory and I was in possession of the note until I was seized en route to Korea by the lord of Nagasaki, where it was confiscated and I was held on the grounds of trespassing onto Japanese territory." Korean scholars allege as a fact this testimony; Japanese scholars, however, insist that this testimony is An's lie, because he did not go to Edo where the Shogunate lived, and the Shogunate demanded Koreans prohibited from going to Ulleung-do. As result of diplomatic negotiation, senior statesmens of shogunate issued the following instructions to the load of Tsuhima clan in January 1696 (translated into English):

1. Ulleungdo(Takeshima) is about 160-ri (640km) from Oki but only about 40-ri (160km) from Korea; therefore, it can be considered that Japanese Takeshima is same island as Korean Ulleungdo.

2. Japanese are forbidden henceforth to make passage to Takeshima for the Japan-Korea friendship because the island is useless.

3. The lord of Tsushima should communicate this to Korea.

Though Tottori clan reported to the shogunate about Matsushima (Liancourt Rocks) and Takeshima (Ulleung-do), the shogunate did not order a prohibition of Japanese going to Matsuhima (Liancourt Rocks). In the diplomatic negotiation between Japan (Tsushima clan) and the Chosun government, they never discussed the Liancourt Rocks.

In 1696, Ahn visited Japan again. According to the Sukjong Sillok, Ahn testified as follows after he had returned to Joseon.

”I sailed to Ulleung-do and the Usando again with the company of sixteen fishermen, disguised as a naval officer, and clashed again with the Japanese at Ulleung-do. The Japanese said they were living on Matsushima and strayed onto Takeshima (Ullungdo) while fishing and would return. I fulminated at this, demanding to know why the Japanese were living on a Korean island. When I was arriving in Japan, I said to the lord of the Tottori clan that "though it was confiscated by the Tsushima clan, I got the Tokugawa Shogunate's edict that the both islands were Korean possessions before visit.　When I said that I will appeal for this to the Kanpaku, the lord of Tsushima clan came to Tottori and he entreated me to stop it.”

However, in May of 2005 a document recording Anyongbok’s statement was found by the Murakawa family in Shimane Prefecture. The record recorded to the Bafuku is the investigation on Anyongbok who arrived in Hokishu in May 1696 via the Oki Islands. The document has a total of 15 pages. The fifth page records Anyongbok’s statement that Jasando (Usando) is Matsushima (松島) The last page records the eight provinces of Korea. The document specifically states that Takeshima (竹島 Ulleungdo) and Matsushima (松島 Liancourt Rocks) are part of Gangwan Province (江原道) See image below.

Following the diplomatic spat in the seventeenth century, the Sangoku setsujozu ("A Map of Three Adjoining Countries"), a map attached to the Sangoku tsuran zusetsu ("An Illustrated General Survey of Three Countries") was compiled by Hayashi Shihei and published in 1785. The map shows international boundaries and foreign countries in different colors: Korea is depicted in yellow and Japan in green. On the map are two islets; Ulleung-do is identified as 'Takeshima' and another island adjacent to it is unidentified. A Korean researcher believes that the unidentified island is the Liancourt Rocks. A Japanese researcher claims that the unidentified island is Jukdo. According to the map, the drawings are characters inscribed "Korea's possessions".

In the Dainihonzu ("Map of Great Japan"), another map attached to An Illustrated General Survey of Three Countries, Hayashi also treated Ulleungdo and the Liancourt rocks as Korean territory in an explanatory note. In the latter part of the 18th century, a Japanese geographer made a map called Soezu ("A Complete Illustrated Map") which uses colors to distinguish national borders and territories: Korea in yellow and Japan in red. These islands were not identified by name, but are shown in yellow in their accurate positions and described as "Korea's possessions."

Other maps and records

• Chosen Hachido-no Zu (1758) depicts Ulleung-do and Usan-guk (state) on one big island within Korean territory. Korean scholars insist that the Liancourt rocks are comparised in this one island. Japanese insist that only Ullengdo is drawn in this map.
• Sangoku Tsuran Yochi Rotei Zensu (1785) depicts as Korean territory a small island located next to Ulleung-do. Korean scholars believe this to depict the Liancourt rocks, but Japanese scholars believe it corresponds to Juk-do.
• Dae Dong Yeo Ji Do (1861), depicts one island. Korean scholars insist that the Liancourt rocks are comprised in this island. Japanese insist that only Ullengdo is drawn in this map.

In 1849, a French whaler from Le Havre by the name of Le Liancourt, named the islets "Rochers de Liancourt" in 1849. In 1854, the Russians called them the "Manalai and Olivutsa Rocks" upon their first sighting and, in 1855, the English started calling them the "Hornet Rocks."

The inconsistent use of the names "Takeshima" and "Matsushima" in Japanese documents leaves room for dispute. Most Japanese documents and maps after 1905 use the name Takeshima or place the islets in Korean territory outright under the title Dokdo, while pre-1905 documents tend to use Takeshima, Matsushima, or entirely exclude the islets.

In 1869 a the new Meiji government sent a Japanese diplomatic mission to Korea to gather information and establish relations. Their report included information about Takeshima and Matsushima. It reads as follows:

竹島松島朝鮮附屬 "How Takeshima (Ulleungdo) and Matsushima became Korean Possessions"

"..Matsushima (松島) is a neighbor island of Takeshima (竹島) and there is no document on file by the shogunate concerning this island. 2. The island of Takeshima (Ulleungdo) was settled by the Korean people after the 1690s but it now has become uninhabited…"

Some Japanese scholars maintain the Matsushima (松島) in this document refers to a different island due to possible mapping errors of this era.

In 1877, the Japanese Dajokan (Council of State) issued the following ruling, (translated into English):

In response to the compilation of the cadastre for Takeshima and another island in the Sea of Japan per Home Office Inquiry.

Knowing that our country has nothing to do with them as the result of the communication between our old government and that country involved after the entry into the island by the Koreans in the fifth year of the Genroku, and having examined the view stated in the inquiry, the following draft instruction has been made for deliberation and sanction.

Draft Introduction-

In reference to Takeshima and another island, it is to be understood that our country has nothing to do with them.

On October 25 1900, the Korean Empire issued Korean Government Imperial Ordinance 41, incorporating the islands of Ulleung-do, Juk-do (죽도 竹島), and Seok-do (석도 石島) into Ulleung County. The Korean government regards "Seok-do" as the island they now call Dok-do because 石島(Seok-do) is pronounced "Dok-do" in the Gyeongsang and Jeolla dialects. Article ・ of the ordinance designated Taehadong as the kun office venue and defined the jurisdiction of the Uldo country magistrate as extending over the whole of Ulleung-do, Juk-do, and Seok-do. Here Juk-do refers to Jukseo-do, a rocky islet adjoining Ullungdo that was confirmed by Yi Kyu-won in his diary during an inspection trip there.

A majority of the people who settled on Ulleungdo were from Jeolla Province. In the dialect of that region dol (meaning rock; seok or 石 in Hanja) is pronounced as dok, thus dol-seom (돌섬 literally rocky island) becomes dok-seom. As a result the government registered the island as Seok-do or 石島 in the Chinese writing system—the preferred method of transcription- which had remained official (as was Latin under the Roman Empire and French after the Norman conquest in Great Britain) even after the creation of Hangul as the indigenous Korean alphabet in 1447.

Similar cases can be found not only in the names of islands but also those of valleys. This is especially true for the southern regions of Korea. In some cases Dok-seom is pronounced Dokdo and is written with the Chinese characters 獨島. The sound dok or dol is the Chinese character 獨, and 島 is the Chinese character for island—namely, som or to.

Although the government adopted the name of Seok-do for the rocks when the ordinance came into effect, the residents of Ullungdo called the island either Seok-do or the rocks. During the Russo-Japanese war the Japanese warship Niitakago was sent to Ulleungdo to investigate the area in preparation for the building of a watchtower on the Liancourt rocks in 1904. The deck log of Niitakago recorded that Korea wrote the islets as 'Dokdo (獨島)'

Japan, however, makes use of the inconsistency of terms used for the islands and claims that Korea is short of evidence that makes "Seok-do" "Dokdo". Some Japanese researchers claim Seok-do to be a different island now called Gwaneum-do (관음도) and that the Korean government did not regard the Liancourt rocks as its territory at the time.

The 1904–1905 Russia~Japan War and Liancourt Rocks

On February 8th 1904 the Japanese Navy opened a surprise attack on Russian boats Varyag and Korietz anchored in Chemulpo (Incheon). Their troops continued to advance into Seoul and after weeks of continued intimidation and manipulation, the Koreans signed the February 24th, Japan-Korea Protocol. The protocol allowed the Japanese to occupy strategic areas of Korea. Immediately the Japanese Army and Navy began constructing military observation and communications posts on all strategic coastal and island locations of Korea. These areas included: Uldo Island, Cheju Island, Udo, Hongdo, Palpo, Wonsan, Jukpyeon, Ulsan, Jinae, Geomun Island, Baekryoeng Island, Ulleung Island, Pohang, and Pusan.

On September 25th 1904 the Japanese Warship Niitaka was involved in telegraph construction on Matsushima (Ulleungdo) and reported "…Korean's call Liancourt Rocks Dokdo and Japanese fishermen call them Riangko.." It was also reported that "..the East Islet was low and flat, thus suitable for constructing military buildings…"

The Japanese Warship Tsushima was issued special directive #276 on November 13th 1904. It included three instructions: a)Inform of the test of the wireless telegraph communications of Takasaki Mountain (on Oki Island) along with the test technician. b)Survey Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo Island) for its suitability for telegraph installation (not wireless telegraph) c)Dispatch workers and materials for Matsushima, (Ulleungdo) Jukpyeon, and Cape Ulsan watchtowers.

On the morning of November 20th 1904 Vice Commander Yamanaka Shibakichi of the Tsushima surveyed Liancourt Rocks and concluded with some difficulty a watchtower could be constructed on Liancourt's East Islet. His survey of Liancourt Rocks was forwarded to the Director of the Japanese Navy's Hydrographic Department on January 5th of 1905.

The Japanese Navy drafted a plan on May 30, immediately following the Battle of Tsushima on May 27-28 1905, and on June 13 instructed the warship Hashitade to go to the island for a further detailed survey. The Navy thus setup a plan for comprehensive facilities in the Sea of Japan including Ullungdo and Takeshima on June 24 of the same year. The plan called for (1) the construction of a large watchtower on the northern part of Ullungdo (nine men to be posted) and a wireless telegraphic station, (2) the construction of the long-pending watchtower on Takeshima/Tokdo (to be manned by four men), (3) the watchtowers of the two islands to be linked by underwater cables which are to be extended to the watch-tower on Oki Island.

Japan's 1905 Shimane Incorporation of Liancourt Rocks

During the Russo-Japanese War and increasing Japanese influence over Korea, Takeshima was proclaimed a part of Shimane prefecture in Japan under the doctrine of terra nullius (although this presumption is no longer mentioned in the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs following the release of Korean Imperial Ordinance 41) on January 28, 1905. The Koreans were not notified of the annexation until March 23 1906, when Korea had already become a Japanese protectorate under the Protectorate Treaty of 1905 and thus had no power to protest the Japanese government's actions.

Upon learning the Japanese had incorporated Liancourt Rocks, Ulleungdo Governor Shim Heung Taek sent the following memorandum to the central government on Lunar March 5th 1906:"Dokdo belonging to this county is located in the sea 100 ri from this county. A Japanese steamship moored at Todongp'o in Udo on the 4th day of the month about 8:00 a.m and a group of Japanese Officials came to my office and said, "We came to inspect Dokdo since it is now Japanese territory…"

Afterwards the Daehan Governor Responded:"Order No.3 by the Daehan Empires Governor I have read this report. Their word that Dokdo has become Japanese territory is a totally unfounded allegation, recheck the island and action of Japanese people…"

The Korean newspaper Daehan Maeil Shinbo also sharply criticized the Japanese incorporation of Takeshima on May 1st 1906 stating:"The Domestic Affairs office stated "It is not unusual for those Japanese Officials to inspect Ulleungdo Island while they were traveling in the area. However their claiming Dokdo as Japanese territory does not make sense at all. We find the Japanese claim shocking…"

The South Korean government claims this incorporation is invalid because it was done covertly. Japan, on the other hand, claims it was not done secretly and was reported in newspapers and that it does not violate any international laws.

Korean scholar claims as follows. Notably, however, the Japanese did not contact other countries of its annexation of the Liancourt rocks as it did with the acquisition of the Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands in the Pacific, when it contacted Great Britain and the U.S. several times, which were only remotely involved in them, as well as notified 12 European countries of its establishment of control over the islands. (In any case, the previously-held claim of terra nullius creates a contradiction in the Japanese argument: if the islands had been Japanese territory since 1618, the terra nullius policy would have been incorrect, while if the terra nullius policy had been right, the Japanese claim of historical ownership over the islets would be void.)

However, Japanese occupation case is not only Ogasawara at that time. Another Korean scholar investigated seven cases about Japanese occupation of the island and concluded that Liancourt Rocks's incorporation procedure by Japan was the same as the other cases. In addition, he pointed out that the incorporation of Japan was not contradicted in International Law. A Japanese scholar claims that most scholar of International Law at that time and judicial precedents assume that there is no notification obligation.

The Cairo Conference of 1943 stated that "Japan will be expelled from all territories which she has taken by violence and greed ." Japan argues that Liancourt Rocks are an integral part of Japanese territory and do not fall within the Cairo Declaration's definition of territories taken by greed, whereas Korea argues that the islets falls under this definition.

After World War II and during occupied Japan

Upon Japan's defeat in World War II, during the occupation of Japan, Korea, and Taiwan by the Allies, the SCAP Instruction #677 of January 29, 1946 temporarily ceased Japan's administrative power over Liancourt Rocks. SCAPIN are instructions of occupation forces based on international law of war, and not treaties between subjects.

SUBJECT:Governmental and Administrative Separation of Certain Outlying Areas Japan.

1. The Imperial Japanese Government is directed to cease exercising, or attempting to exercise, governmental or administrative authority over any area outside Japan, or over any government officials and employees or any other persons within such areas.

3. For the purpose of this directive, Japan is defined to include the four main islands of Japan (Hokkaidō, Honshū, Kyūshū and Shikoku) and the approximately 1,000 smaller adjacent islands, including the Tsushima Islands and the Ryūkyū (Nansei) Islands north of 30° North Latitude (excluding Kuchinoshima Island); and excluding

(a) Utsuryo (Ullung) Island, Liancourt Rocks (Take Island), and Kuelpart (saishu or Cheju) Island,

(b) the Ryūkyū (nansei) Islands south of 30° North Latitude (including Kuchinoshima Island), the Izu, Kanpo, Bonin (Ogasawara) and Volcano (Kazan or Iwo) Island Groups, and all other outlying Pacific Islands including the Daito (Ohigashi or Gagari) Islands Group, and Parace Vela (Okino-tori), Kercus (Kinami-tori) and Canges (Nakano-tori) Islands, and

(c) the Kurile (Chishima) Islands, the Habomai (Hapomazo) Islands Group (including Suisho, Yuri, Aki-yuri, Shibotsu and Taraku Islands) and Shikotan Island.

5. The definition of Japan contained in this directive shall also apply to all future directives, memoranda and orders from this Headquarters unless otherwise specified therein.

6. Nothing in this directive shall be construed as an indication of Allied policy relating to the ultimate determination of the minor islands referred to in Article 8 of the Potsdam Declaration.

Islands mentioned in (a), other than the Liancourt rocks, were renounced by Japan at Treaty of San Francisco. Japanese sovereignty which is mentioned in (b) were eventually recovered. Those mentioned in (c), for the most part, remain in Russian occupation (though disputed by Japan). The instruction stated that "nothing in this directive shall be construed as an indication of Allied policy relating to the ultimate determination of the minor islands referred to in Article 8 of the Potsdam Declaration."

A similar description is seen in Article 5 of SCAP Instruction #1033 that became the origin of the MacArthur line.

3. (b) Japanese vessels or personnel thereof will not approached closer than twelve (12) miles to Takeshima (37°15′ North Latitude, 131°53′ East Longitude) nor have any contact with said island.

5. The present authorization is not an expression of Allied policy relative to ultimate determination of national jurisdiction, international boundaries or fishing rights in the area concerned or in any other area.

In 1951, during the Korean War, Lieutenant General John B. Coulter affiliated with the U.S. Army in Korea requested and received permission from South Korea to use the islets for military exercises.

South Korea is interpreting SCAPIN677 as a territorial order which excludes the Japanese sovereignty because it is being written as "Japan is defined" in clause 3. However, the U.S. Department of State denied the Korean claim based on SCAPIN677 in a note to the American embassy in Korea.

The Korean claim, based on SCAPIN677 of January 29, 1946, which suspended Japanese administration of various island areas, include Takeshima (Liancourt Rocks), did not preclude Japan from exercising sovereignty over this area permanently. A later SCAPIN, No.1776 of September 16, 1947 desinated th islets as a bombing range for the Far East Air Force and further provided that use of the range would be made only after notification through Japanese civil authorities to the inhabitants of the Oki Island and certaion ports on Western Honsu.

Treatment of Liancourt Rocks in the treaty of San Francisco

The negotiations involving the fate of former Japanese territories was a long, drawn-out process. The first five and seventh drafts of the treaty provided that Liancourt be renounced territory by Japan for Korea and silent as Japanese territory. The sixth, eighth, ninth, and fourteenth drafts explicitly stated that the territory of Japan included Liancourt Rocks and silent as Japanese renounce territory. The tenth through thirteenth and fifteenth through eighteenth drafts, like the final draft, were silent on the status of Liancourt Rocks as Japanese renounce territory. A draft was made on June 14, 1951 after the conference with U.S. and Britain, an article concerning the Korean territory is as follows. This article was not changed after this draft.

Article 2: (a) Japan, recognizing the independence of Korea, renounces all right, title and claim to Korea, including the islands of Quelpart , Port Hamilton , and Dagelet .

The South Korea government requested the Department of State to insert Liancourt Rocks in the territory that Japan renounced on Jury 19, 1951. However, this Korean request was rejected by the Rusk Documents.

Treaty of San Francisco was signed on September 8, 1951. The CIA's Daily Digest of November 30, 1951, reported Japan decided to abandon the islets after the signature. However, such document of Japanese Government has not been discovered. The treaty came into effect on April 28, 1952.

On July 26 1952 the U.S. Government made a security agreement with Japan listing the island as a "facility of the Japanese Government" because she judged that Liancourt Rocks is Japanese territory by the rusk documents. In the negotiation on the bombing area between U.S. government and ROK, the U.S. government send a diplomatic document to Korea and rejected the Korean claim on December 4, 1952.

"The Embassy has taken note of the statement contained in the Ministry's Note that' Dokdo Island (Liancourt Rocks) .....is a part of the territory of the Republic of Korea.' The United States Government's understanding of the territorial status of this island was stated in assistant Secretary dated August 10,1951."

Some Koreans are claiming these "U.S. governmental records are invalid because they ware influenced by Japanese lobbying at that time." A scholar who support Korean claim says as follows. "In the end there was no mention of Liancourt Rocks in the San Francisco Peace Treaty. The allied powers did not indicate why they chose to remain silent on the outcome, but the varying positions taken during the deliberation process indicate that the decision was made either because not enough information had bee provided regarding the historical events surrounding Japan's incorporation of Dokdo Takeshima or because the Allied Powers felt themselves incapable or inadequate adjudicators." Other Korean scholar responds that "Article 2 is stated to be non-exclusive, silent on other Korean islets like Marado, and that the silence means SCAPIN 677's exclusion of the islets from Japanese territory remains in effect."

However Japanese scholars claim that Liancourt Rocks was left in Japan because it is not described in the SF treaty as an renouncement territory by Japan. "If Liancourt Rocks away from Dagelet at 90km is made a Korean territory, it is necessary to be described clearly in the treaty like Port Hamilton. Though Japan was a defeated country, her sovereignty can’t be transferred without the consent of Japan in international law. It has been proven that the many records of the U.S. looks like Rusk documents did not include Liancourt Rocks in the treaty as Japanese renounce territory. ICJ judged that the decision in 1939 of Britain who is a suzerain of Qatar and Bahrain restrained the two countries in the judicial precedent. A scholar is pointing out that the judgment and records of the U.S. that initiated the SF treaty has significance effect same as this ICJ judgment."

Today, the United States avoids the issue, hoping it can be solved by Japan and Korea amicably.

Armed confrontations

South Korean President Syngman Rhee's (Syngman Rhee line) declaration of January 18, 1952, three months before the Treaty of San Francisco came into effect, included the Liancourt Rocks as a Korean territory that was protested by Japan and unofficially criticized by the U.S. and Taiwan.

On January 12, 1953, South Korea ordered its army to enforce its claim on the islets, and on April 20, 1953 South Korean volunteer coastguards set up camp. There has been some controversy regarding whether all of the 33 decorated members of the voluntary coastguard participated in the 1953 expedition. The Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea found that 16 of the 33 were not participants in the expedition.

According to Japan, five Japanese fishermen were shot to death, and 3,929 Japanese fishermen and 328 fishing boats were abducted and detained in South Korea as hostages for crossing the line between 1952 and 1965. The fishermen were released in 1965 in return for the release of 472 Koreans imprisoned in Japan.

On June 27, 1953, two Japanese Coast Guard vessels briefly landed and erected a territorial post on the islets. Several armed skirmishes followed, leading to the sinking of a Japanese ship by Korean mortar fire on July 12, 1953. Similar incidents occurred on April 21, 1954 and August 24, 1954.

International Court of Justice

Japan protested and, since October 1954, has repeatedly proposed arbitration action at the International Court of Justice, but South Korea has refused. After the incidents, in 1954, South Korea built a lighthouse and a helicopter landing pad on the islets, which it has maintained ever since despite repeated protests by Japan.

In 1954, the United States recommended that South Korea accept the offer for arbitration, the ambassador saying in the Van Fleet report that, "When the Treaty of Peace with Japan was being drafted, the Republic of Korea asserted its claims to (the Liancourt Rocks) but the United States concluded that they remained under Japanese sovereignty and the Island was not included among the Islands that Japan released from its ownership under the Peace Treaty," and, "Our position has been that the dispute might properly be referred to the International Court of Justice and this suggestion has been informally conveyed to the Republic of Korea."

Recent developments

The dispute occasionally resurfaces, such as when South Korea built a wharf on the islets in 1996 and declared them a Natural Monument in 2002, spurred by a controversial Japanese textbook that called that "South Korea is illegally occupying the islets".

In June 2005, a South Korean official guideline recommended referring to the Liancourt Rocks in the singular form ‘island’ “to reflect the island character, instead of ‘islands’, ‘islet(s)’ or ‘rock(s)’.

In the same year, Japan's Shimane prefecture designated February 22 Takeshima Day, to commemorate the centennial anniversary of Japan's claim to the islets and boost public interest in Japan about the dispute. In response, the Korean municipality of Masan passed the Daemado Day bill, commemorating General Yi Jong Mu's conquest of Tsushima Island in 1419 while the ordinance was criticized by South Korean government that it is not only useless but would be also harmful to the international confidentiality of Korea.

In 2004 South Korea issued a set of stamps depicting the wildlife of the rocks, implying an ownership claim. The Japanese government formally protested this action as a violation of the spirit of the Universal Postal Union charter. Similar stamp series had been printed in 2002 and 1954. The stamp dispute was allegedly linked to a series of denial of service attacks and other Internet campaigns between Koreans and Japanese.

2006 Japanese maritime survey

In April 2006, Japan dispatched two ships to the islets to conduct a maritime survey near the islets, without formally notifying South Korea. In response, the South Korean government dispatched eighteen patrol ships to the islets, warning the Japanese government not to go through with its plans. South Korean foreign minister Ban Ki-Moon emphasized that Seoul was "preparing counter-measures for all scenarios", leading some in the media to speculate that the South Korean military may try to capture the Japanese ships.

South Korea maintained that the proposed maritime survey would encroach on its EEZ surrounding the islets, and that such a move must be accompanied by advance notice according to international law. For its part, Japan denied any attempt to enter the EEZ, stating that all activities would take place inside its own waters. Because of the competing claims to the islets, both Japan and South Korea have claimed the area in which the hydrological survey would be conducted as part of their EEZ. On April 19 2006, The Korea Times reported that South Korean officials viewed Japanese actions as an attempt to bring the dispute over the islets to an international court. On April 20, 2006, the Korean government refused to take the matter to the International Court of Justice. The Japanese officials stated that the maritime survey ship would not enter the area near the islets on April 20, as previously planned, but it would still maintain that no diplomatic agreement has been reached between the two governments.

At least one of the main reasons for the maritime survey arose from a naming dispute between Japan and South Korea. Several of the features on the sea floor within South Korea's claimed EEZ carry Japanese names, which in turn led to South Korea's plan to propose Korean names for the features at an international conference in Germany over the naming of submarine features.

An agreement to end the dispute was eventually reached during meetings on April 22 and April 23 between the South Korean and Japanese vice foreign ministers, in which Japan agreed to suspend the survey, while Korea agreed not to push forward its proposal "until an appropriate time," although the Japanese side interpreted this as the period of the IHO meeting in June.

2006 South Korean maritime survey

On 5 July 2006 a South Korean survey ship entered the disputed waters around the islets. The Japanese foreign ministry called the survey "extremely regrettable", and lodged a complaint with the South Korean ambassador in Tokyo.

2006 Japanese radioactive waste survey

On 2 August 2006, the chief cabinet secretary of Japan, Shinzo Abe, announced that Japan had indicated through the newly proposed bilateral mutual notification procedures to South Korea of its intention to have the Japan Coast Guard conduct a radioactive waste survey from late August to early September to examine the effect of waste that was dumped in waters near Vladivostok in Russia's Far Eastern region by the former Soviet Union. The survey area contains a couple of points located in the South Korean-claimed EEZ near the disputed islets while the specific locations were not clarified. Abe also said Japan will conduct a survey in response to South Korea's survey in the Japan-claimed EEZ in early July, 2006.

Mutual notification talks

The latest surveys prompted an agreement to discuss notification procedures for both nations. Reportedly, mandating notification of each other whenever undertaking a study or survey in the disputed area where their claimed EEZs overlap will be discussed. This marks a step forward, as South Korea has in the past refused to discuss this issue, which Japan had proposed earlier.

Xbox Live Controversy

In the recent Xbox 360 Fall update, controversy was sparked when the Xbox live social networking feature did not allow the Japanese name for the islets, "Takeshima" be entered into the location field of the feature, but accepted the Korean name; "Dokdo" instead. This lead to minor Public outrage over the perception that Microsoft thought that Korea owned the islands. Microsoft's official statement was: "That it was a mistake in the new update and is working on correcting the error." The problem was shortly fixed.

Map Gallery

Modern maps

Distances. Liancourt Rocks are located at 37°14′N, 131°52′E and Ulleungdo appears at 37°30′N, 130°52′E, west of Liancourt Rocks.

Ulleungdo and the small neighboring island, Jukdo located in 2 km east. Jukdo is larger than the total area of Liancourt Rocks.

Daehan Jeondo (part, 1899, Korea) Showing Usando slightly northeast to Ulleungdo, both drawn just west of 37°40′N, 130°30′E (whole images).

Kaisei Nihon Yochi Rotei Zenzu (part, 1775, Japan). Matsushima (松島) appears at 37°50′N, 131°40′E with Takeshima (竹島), aka. Isotakeshima (一云 磯竹島) at around 37°80′N, 131°00′E.

A Japanese Naval map of June 1905 during Russo-Japanese War shows Japanese military telegraph lines between Japan and Korea. The Liancourt Rocks (竹島) Ulleungdo (Matsushima, 松島), and Oki islands line (marked as planned) was instead installed directly to Matsue.

Immediately following the Battle of Tsushima the Japanese Warship Hashidate surveyed the islets again in June 1905. The result was this survey map showing Navy's plans for a watchtower, communications post and observation point on the east islet.

In November 1904, three months before Japanese incorporation, Yamanaka Shibakichi of the Japanese Warship Tsushima drew this survey map of Liancourt Rocks. It shows suitable watchtower locations and visibility ranges.

This image is the Japanese records of Anyongbok’s chart of The Eight Provinces of Korea. Takeshima (竹島) and Matsushima (松島) are shown as part of Korea’s Gangwan Province (江原道)

See also

• Japan-Korea relations
• Japanese-Korean disputes
• Foreign relations of Japan
• Foreign relations of South Korea
• Dokdo class landing platform experimental

References

1. Charles Scanlon South Koreans vent fury at Japan BBC, 18 March 2005
2. ^ , globalsecurity
3. ^ Korea.net (1999–2006). Dokdo: A Profile. Retrieved 9 January, 2006.
4. ^ Gyongsangbuk-do (2001). Cyber Dokdo. Retrieved 9 January, 2006.
5. ^ Geography of Dokdo truthofdokdo.or.kr, retrieved 2007-08-21, 'Dokdo is composed of alkaline effusive rocks which erupted during the Cenozoic Era. Dokdo began to form about 4.6 million years ago'
6. "독도, 일본보다 빠른 속도로 침몰하고 있다", The Korea Times, 2006/12/01. 손영관교수 `독도ㆍ울릉도 `침몰하고 있다``, JoongAng Ilbo, 2006/12/01.
7. ^ Truth of Dokdo. Story of Dokdo. Retrieved 9 January, 2006.
8. Template:Ja icon 衆議院議員岩國哲人君提出領有権問題の地域における戸籍・住民票登録等に関する質問に対する答弁書, 内閣衆質一六二第五五号, 平成十七年五月十七日 (Replies by the Cabinet of Japan to the interpellations by Congressman Tetsundo Iwakuni on Japanese family and residential registries in areas under territorial dispute #162-55, 2005-5-17). "本年五月一日現在、お尋ねの竹島に本籍を有する者の数は二十六名、... 竹島、尖閣諸島又は沖ノ鳥島を住所として住民票に記載されている者は存在しないものと承知している。"
9. ^ Roger Dean Du Mars, "Address Registration Revives Islands Dispute". South China Morning Post, December 28, 1999
10. Kim Tong-hyung, Dokdo Hosts First Civilians in a Decade, The Korea Times, 02-19-2006.
11. Dokdo: Inhabitants and Visitors, Korean Overseas Information Service, May 27, 2005.
12. See Cyber Dokdo.
13. ^ Korea.net (1999–2006). Dokdo: Inhabitants and Visitors. Retrieved 9 January, 2006.
14. Truth of Dokdo. Importance of Dokdo. Retrieved 9 January, 2006.
15. Historically,Takeshima belongs to Japan, Shimane Prefectural Government, Japan
16. (ko) "50년대 독도의용수비대가 활약할 당시만 해도 20∼30마리씩 떼를 지어 독도 연안에서 서식하는장면이 목격됐다. 독도의용수비대원이던 이규현씨 (82·울릉군 울릉읍 도동리) 는 "당시 독도에서 강치(바다사자) 무리를 간간이 볼 수 있었고, 울릉도 주민들은 이를 가재, 강치로 부르기도 했다"고 말했다." 독도에 바다사자 복원한다, The Kukmin Daily, 2006.02.02
17. Tour 2 Korea Dokdo Tour. Retrieved 18 January, 2006.
18. Names for bacteria find favor Korea, JoongAng Ilbo, June 09, 2005. Dokdonella koreensis, Dokdonia donghaensis and Maribacter dokdonensis Template:Ko icon `미생물 이름으로 `독도는 한국 땅` 알린다`, Yonhap/JoongAng Ilbo, 2005.06.09. 미생물에 `독도한국` `독도 동해` 명명, Yonhap/JoongAng Ilbo, 2005.06.10.
19. Template:Ja icon ＜ピープル＞バクテリアで「独島は韓国領土」知らせるユン博士, JoongAng Ilbo, 2005.12.22. "０４年の春には独島から海水と土を採取してきた。およそ１年間分析したすえ、２種類のバクテリアを捜し出した。それぞれ「独島韓国」、「独島東海（トンへ、日本名・日本海）」に名付けた。国際学術紙に報告すれば、微生物学者らに独島が韓国領土であることを知らせることができる、との判断からだった。しかし、科学界も日本の立場を考慮したせいか、論文に「独島が韓国領土」だと直接言及するのは自制してほしい、と要請した。"
20. Template:Ko icon 신종 박테리아 찾아내 `자원 강국`의 꿈 이룬다, JoongAng Ilbo, 2007.03.22.
21. Jung-Hoon Yoon, So-Jung Kang and Tae-Kwang Oh Dokdonella koreensis gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from soil, Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 56 (2006), 145-150; DOI 10.1099/ijs.0.63802-0.
22. Jung-Hoon Yoon, So-Jung Kang, Choong-Hwan Lee and Tae-Kwang Oh Dokdonia donghaensis gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from sea water, Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 55 (2005), 2323-2328; DOI 10.1099/ijs.0.63817-0.
23. Jung-Hoon Yoon, So-Jung Kang, Choong-Hwan Lee and Tae-Kwang Oh Donghaeana dokdonensis gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from sea water, Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 56 (2006), 187-191; DOI 10.1099/ijs.0.63847-0.
24. Jung-Hoon Yoon, So-Jung Kang, Soo-Young Lee, Mi-Hwa Lee and Tae-Kwang Oh Virgibacillus dokdonensis sp. nov., isolated from a Korean island, Dokdo, located at the edge of the East Sea in Korea, Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 55 (2005), 1833-1837; DOI 10.1099/ijs.0.63613-0.
25. Jung-Hoon Yoon, So-Jung Kang, Soo-Young Lee, Choong-Hwan Lee and Tae-Kwang Oh Maribacter dokdonensis sp. nov., isolated from sea water off a Korean island, Dokdo, Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 55 (2005), 2051-2055; DOI 10.1099/ijs.0.63777-0.
26. Jung-Hoon Yoon, So-Jung Kang and Tae-Kwang Oh Marinomonas dokdonensis sp. nov., isolated from sea water, Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 55 (2005), 2303-2307; DOI 10.1099/ijs.0.63830-0.
27. Jung-Hoon Yoon, So-Jung Kang and Tae-Kwang Oh Polaribacter dokdonensis sp. nov., isolated from seawater, Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 56 (2006), 1251-1255; DOI 10.1099/ijs.0.63820-0.
28. Jung-Hoon Yoon, Mi-Hwa Lee, So-Jung Kang, Soo-Young Lee and Tae-Kwang Oh Sphingomonas dokdonensis sp. nov., isolated from soil, Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 56 (2006), 2165-2169; DOI 10.1099/ijs.0.64114-0.
29. Jung-Hoon Yoon, Peter Schumann, So-Jung Kang, Seo-Youn Jung and Tae-Kwang Oh Isoptericola dokdonensis sp. nov., isolated from soil, Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 56 (2006), 2893-2897; DOI 10.1099/ijs.0.64430-0.
30. Jung-Hoon Yoon, So-Jung Kang, Mi-Hwa Lee, Hyun Woo Oh and Tae-Kwang Oh Porphyrobacter dokdonensis sp. nov., isolated from sea water, Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 56 (2006), 1079-1083; DOI 10.1099/ijs.0.63840-0.
31. Jung-Hoon Yoon, So-Jung Kang, Hyun Woo Oh and Tae-Kwang Oh Stenotrophomonas dokdonensis sp. nov., isolated from soil, Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 56 (2006), 1363-1367; DOI 10.1099/ijs.0.64091-0.
32. Jung-Hoon Yoon, So-Jung Kang and Tae-Kwang Oh Variovorax dokdonensis sp. nov., isolated from soil, Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 56 (2006), 811-814; DOI 10.1099/ijs.0.64070-0.
34. Template:Ko icon "十三年夏六月,于山國帰服,歳以士宜為貢于山國,在溟州正東海島,或名欝陵島,地方一百里,恃嶮不服,伊異斯夫,為何瑟羅州軍主,謂于山人愚悍難以威来,可以計服,乃多造木偶師子,分載戦船,抵其国海岸誑告白,汝若不服,則放此猛獣,踏殺之,國人恐懼則降." The character "do" (島) refers to island, whereas "guk" (國) refers to state/nation. See 三国史記「干山国帰服す」画像. 三国史記-卷四·新羅本紀·智証麻立干 智証王13年(512年)夏6月条
35. Template:Ja icon "命議政府議處流山國島人江原道觀察使報云流山國島人白加勿等十二名來泊高城於羅津言曰予等生長武陵其島内人戸十一男女共六十餘今移居本島是島自東至西自南至北皆二息周回八息無牛馬水田唯種豆一斗出二十石或三十石麥一石出五十餘石竹如大椽海錯果木皆在焉竊慮此人等逃還姑分置于通州高城扞城" See 架空の「流山国島」が記された太宗実録12年4月巳巳条の原文画像
36. 世宗實錄地理志江原道三陟都護府蔚珍縣 "于山、武陵二島在縣正東海中。二島相去不遠, 風日淸明, 則可望見。", National Institute of Korean History
37. ^ Korea.net (1999–2006).History of Dokdo. Retrieved 9 January, 2006
38. Template:Ja icon "朝鮮時代の地誌では、島嶼を記録する場合は、その海島を所管する群県の所在地からの方向と、陸地からの距離が明記される決まりになっていた。 ( When the Korean topography records in the Joseon dynasty described islands, it was regulated to write the direction from the local government and the distance from the land.) See . 竹島は日韓どちらのものか by Prof. Shimojyo.
39. 肅宗27巻,20年8月14日己酉 "本島峰巒樹木, 自陸地歴歴望見, 而凡其山川紆曲, 地形闊狭, 民居遺址, 土物所産, 倶載於我国《輿地勝覧》書, 歴代相伝, 事跡昭然", National Institute of Korean History.
40. See the English translation at the bottom of this link
41. 下条正男(Prof. Shimojyo) 諸君！2007年9月号 p98"その結果、東国輿地志には「一説に言う、于山鬱稜島本一島」とあったことがわかった。(As a result, it turned out that Yeojiji stated as "Usan-do and Ulleung-do are spoken of as the same island, too.")"
43. Template:Ja icon See Map which is on this page and part of the "竹島問題" site
44. 太宗實錄 太宗33卷17年(1417)2月8日乙丑, National Institute of Korean History.
45. Dokdo Is Korean Territory, May 2005, Korea Foundation Newsletter
47. First Japanese Record on Tokdo from the First Written Records on Tokdo site maintained by Iwato Hashimori
48. "向後?不?候?二堅堅朝鮮表江被仰遣候?二御?元江被申越候?二と相模守申付候"
49. See Japanese government reconfirms Dokdo and Uleungdo as Korean territories at the end of 17th century on the Cyber Dokdo site.
50. See 鳥取藩政資料からみた竹島問題
51. See
52. Template:Jp icon "道程ノ儀相尋候ヘハ伯耆ヨリハ百六十里程有之 朝鮮ヘハ四十里程有之由ニ候 然ハ朝鮮國ノ蔚陵島ニテモ可有之候哉" See 公文??像. 明治十年三月 公文? ?務省之部一　日本海?竹島外一島地籍編纂方伺　一?.
53. Template:Jp icon "?取ニ?リ候?ニテ無益島ニ候處此儀ムスホホレ年?ノ通交絶申候モ如何ニ候 御威光或ハ武威ヲ以テ申勝ニイタシ候テモ筋モナキ事申募リ候儀ハ不入事ニ候　竹島ノ儀元シカト不仕事ニ候 例年不?候" See 公文??像. 明治十年三月 公文? ?務省之部一　日本海?竹島外一島地籍編纂方伺　一?.
54. Shimane Prefecture site on Takeshima
55. New Destroyer to Be Named `An Yong-bok', Korean Times, March 28, 2005.
56. Japan Twice Admitted Korean Sovereignty Over Dokdo, Digital Chosun Ilbo, March 4, 2005.
57. See Korea's Possessions
58. 竹島問題に関する調査研究　舩杉力修(prof. FUNASUGI）p194"その距離から現在の竹島ではなく鬱稜島の属島であると見られる。(It is thought that it is not present Liancourt Rocks but belonging islet of Ulleungdo from distance.)"
59. http://www2.gol.com/users/hsmr/Content/East%20Asia/Korea/Dokto_Island/History/Shin_Yong-ha_3.html#top
60. See Chosen Hachido-no Zu, University of Tsukuba Library,.
61. See Dae Dong Yeo Ji Do map
62. See Korean Government Imperial Ordinance 41
63. See Chosun
64. KBS
65. Template:Ja icon "松島ニ於テリアニコルド岩實見者ヨリ聽取リタル情報。リアンコル岩韓人之ヲ獨島ト書シ本邦漁夫等略シテリヤンコ島ト略稱セリ。 See . 軍艦新高行動日誌 二十五日(月) By 1904 Japanese Navy document
66. See http://toron.pepper.jp/jp/take/hennyu/ishijima41.html
67. See http://www.geocities.com/mlovmo/page4.html
68. See Cyber Dokdo.
69. See Takeshima Position
70. 国際法外交雑誌　第105巻第2号　2006年8月　朴培根(Prof. Park) p44 "国際法上の先占の要件を備えるために周密な国内手続きと形式を整えた。（To fill the requirement for occupation of International Law, Japan straightened a deliberate domestic procedure and the form. )" p46 "結論的に言って、他の島嶼の先占に比べ、竹島の先占に別に特異なところはなかった。(Consequentially, Takeshima's occupation by Japan did not have the difference compared with other cases."
71. 国際法外交雑誌　第105巻第2号　2006年8月　朴培根(Prof. Park) p38 "したがって、竹島/独島に対する領域権原を近代国際法に照らして確実なものにするために日本が先占のような追加措置をすることは、近代国際法の観点から見ると論理的に可能であり、必ずしも意義のないことではない。(Therefore, to ensure title in International Law by additional measures similar to occupation is logically possible. And it is not meaningless.)"
72. THE ACQUISITION AND GOVERNMENT OF BACKWARD TERRITORY IN INTERNATIONA LAW by M.F.Lindley P295 "These isolated special agreements, when taken into conjunction with the fact that, apart from the region dealt with in Article 34, notifications have been the exception rather than the rule, save to emphasize the point that such notifications were not required by general law."
73. Palmas case "An obligation for the Netherlands to notify to other Powers the establishment of suzerainty over the Sangi States or of the display of sovereignty in these territories did not exist."
74. 領土帰属の国際法　太壽堂鼎(Prof. Daijyudo) p145 "判例や学説の多数も、通告の必要を認めていない(Many of the judicial precedent and the theory do not admit the necessity of the notification.)"
76. See http://www.geocities.com/mlovmo/temp10.html
77. SCAPIN­677, Dokdo Center, 2005.09.09.
78. Who Owns Tok-Do/Takeshima? Should These Islets Affect the Maritime Boundary Between Korea and Japan?, Jon M. Van Dyke, p. 49.
79. SCAPIN-1033, Toron Talker
80. See
81. wikisource:Confidential Security Information about Liancourt Rocks
82. United States Department of State / Foreign relations of the United States, 1951. Asia and the Pacific (in two parts) Volume VI, Part 1 (1951) "Revised United States-United Kingdom Draft of a Japanese Peace Treaty June 14,1951"
83. The REFERENCE No.517 塚本孝（Tsukamoto Takashi）p47 ”米英両国は、1951年6月の協議を経て、同6月14日付けで、“改訂米英草案”を作成した。（中略）この第二条aは、1951年9月8日署名の最終テキストまで変更されなかった。”
84. "CIA Records Say Japan Gave up Dokdo". KBS Global. 24. Retrieved 2006-06-07. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
85. The action of the United States-Japan Joint Committee in designating these rocks as a facility of the Japanese Government is therefore justified.
86. 芹田健太郎（Prof. Serita Kentaro）日本の領土p159 “もし、鬱陵島から約90キロメートルも離れた離れた孤島である竹島を朝鮮領として認める意図があったのであるとすれば、朝鮮本土からやや離れている巨文島が条約中に明記されたように、そのことを明記しておかなければならなかったであろう。”
87. CASE CONCERNING SOVEREIGNTY OVER PULAU LIGITAN AND PULAU SIPADAN by ICJ article64 p36 “The Court further recalls that it stated above that the words "the islets belonging thereto" can only be interpreted as referring to the small islands lying in the immediate vicinity of the three islands which are mentioned by name, and not to islands which are kmlocated at a distance of more than 40 nautical miles(75km)
88. ＜ref>大壽堂鼎(Prof. Daijyudo Kanae)　領土帰属の国際法p149 “平和条約はいかに戦勝国が敗戦国に強制するものとはいえ、敗戦国は同意した範囲外の事項についてまで拘束されないことは言うまでもない(It is natural that the defeated country is not restrained about a matter outside the her consent though the peace treaty is what the victorious country compels it to the defeated country.)”
89. PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW by Ian Brownlie “The very considerable derogation of sovereignty involved in the assumption of powers of government by foreign states, without the consent of Germany, did not constitute a transfer of sovereignty. A similar case, recognized by the customary law for a very long time, is that of the belligerent occupation of enemy territory in time of war.”
90. CASE CONCERNING MARITIME DELIMITATION　AND TERRITORIAL QUESTIONS　BETWEEN QATAR AND BAHRAIN by ICJ; See article 107, 146, 147 and 148
91. 芹田健太郎（Prof. Serita Kentaro）中央公論2006年11月号　p273-274 “（カタールとバーレーンの判例紹介）したがって、連合国を主導した米国の前述の記述は極めて大きな意味を持ち、国際司法裁判所で竹島問題が審議されれば、同裁判所の判例の動向から推察して米国の判断は日韓両国を拘束すると判示する蓋然性は高いと韓国の専門家も考えるからである。((Introduction of judicial precedent of ICJ and Rusk documents)…..Then the records of the above-mentioned of the U.S. that initiated the Allies have significance effect. If Takeshima is discussed in International Court of Justice, from the judicial precedent, the possibility to be judged that the judgment of the United States restrains the Japan-South Korea is high. The Korean specialist will also think so.)”
92. See
93. (ko) "책갈피 속의 오늘 1952년 이승만 평화선 선포", Dong-a Ilbo, 2006/01/18
94. (ko) "미국, 한국전직후 "독도는 일본땅" 일방결론", Segye Ilbo, 2006-03-27. See also Report of Van Fleet Mission to Far East
95. (ko)"전설의 독도수비대, '영웅'은 없었다", OhmyNews, 2006-10-30.
96. (ko) 감사원 "독도수비대 일부 엉터리 훈장", mbn/Naver News 2007-04-19
97. "Shimane Prefectural Government website: Photo Shimane No. 161" (in Japanese). 2006. Retrieved 2006-05-07.
98. See Takeshima Position
99. "(EDITORIAL) Motives behind textbooks", The Korea Herald, 2005-04-07.
100. See Official guideline
101. "On the occasion of Takeshima Day", Takeshima-Return our islands and our sea!, Shimane Prefecture, 2007.04.19.
102. "Dispute over Dokdo brings in weekend rallies, campaigns", The Korea Herald, 2005-03-21.
103. Template:Ko icon "마산시 의회의 ‘대마도의 날’ 제정관련 외교통상부 대변인 논평", The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (South Korea), 2005.3.19. See also ko:대마도의 날
104. "Plan to Make Dokdo Stamps Riles Japanese", Chosun Ilbo, Jan. 8, 2004.
105. See Jeju Times
106. See Hankooki Times
107. ^ See Japan-South Korea Island Dispute, Yahoo! News, April 19, 2006
108. See Hankooki Times.
109. See Hankooki Times.
110. Template:Ko icon "정부, `수로탐사 국제재판소行 배제' 선언", Yonhap/Naver News, 2006-04-20.
111. Template:Ko icon "일본 일단 출항 보류, 외교 해결 추진", Yonhap/Naver News, 2006-04-20.
112. "Japanese Nomenclature Encroaches on Korean Waters", Chosun Ilbo, Apr. 18, 2006.
113. "MAPPING SEABED TO BOOST ISLES CLAIM: Survey flap said boils down to name game", Japan Times, April 20, 2006.
114. "Much Fighting Talks and a Disappointing Result", Chosun Ilbo, Apr. 23, 2006.
115. "Japan asks S Korea to end survey", BBC News, 5 July 2006.
116. "Japan informs ROK of intended survey around disputed islets", Xinhua News Agency, 2006-08-02
117. "Japan, S. Korea to discuss notification procedure for EEZ", ANTARA, 08/11/06.
118. Brian Ashcraft, Korea: Xbox Live Error Message Pisses Off Japan, Kotaku, DEC 11 2007.
119. Template:Ko icon MS， 엑스박스에 결국‘다케시마’ 추가, The Kukmin Daily/Empas news, 2007-12-14.

External links

• "Day on the Dokdo Islands", an American's photographs of his trip to the islets.

Official sites

• South Korean government's perspective on Dokdo via Korea.net
• Takeshima is Japanese territory: a web page by the Shimane Prefectural Government, Japan
• Japan's position on Takeshima by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Cyber Dokdo System by Gyeongbuk provincial authorities
• A web page by the Shimane Prefectural Government, Japan claiming the islands

Pro-Korea

• Tokdo or Takeshima? The International Law of Territorial Acquisition in the Japan-Korea Island Dispute, Sean Fern, Stanford Journal of East Asian Affairs, Volume 5 Number 1 (Winter 2005), pp.78–89 Third party analysis of dispute in an academic journal
• Legal Legal Issues Related to Sovereignty over Dokdo and Its Maritime Boundary(Jan 2007), a William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, USA Third party analysis of dispute in an academic journal
• The historical facts of the Dokdo - Takeshima Island dispute between Korea and Japan Third party analysis of dispute
• dodkdonews.net: News updates on the disputed islets
• The Territorial Dispute Over Dokdo, compiled by Mark S. Lovmo Third party analysis of dispute
• "North Korea Denounces Japanese Territorial Claims on Dokdo", Yonhap via Yahoo news
• Northeast Asian History Foundation in Korea

Pro-Japan

• Lies, Half-truths, & Dokdo Video, Part 1–10, Maps Part 1–12 compiled by Gerry-Bevers.

• Articles with dead external links from October 2007
• Islands of Korea
• Islands of Japan
• Sea of Japan
• Disputed islands
• Japanese-Korean relations
• Territorial disputes of Japan
• Territorial disputes of South Korea
• Anti-Japanese sentiment in Korea
• Anti-Korean sentiment in Japan
• Disputed territories in Asia
• Foreign relations of South Korea
• Foreign relations of Japan
• Liancourt Rocks