Thursday, July 27, 2006

Ulleungdo: Dokdo Museum Visit

The Dokdo Islands
(As Viewed From Wikipedia)

Yesterday, we visited the famous Dokdo Museum that you've probably never heard about unless you've lived in Korea, in which case, you've heard a lot ... or at least about Dokdo.

Dokdo is an island -- actually, two rocks sticking up from the sea -- located midway between Korea and Japan, claimed by both countries, and occupied by Korea.

My official position is that Dokdo belongs to Korea.

Unofficially, I don't really know, and the museum didn't help me to decide one way or the other because the information was all in Korean ... except for a brochure written in strange English.

One crucial old map showed both Ulleungdo and 'Dokdo' (the actual name being different back then ... I think) in close proximity to each other, with 'Dokdo' being just west of Ulleungdo. The actual Dokdo, however, is in fact east of Ulleungdo, about 86 kilometers distant. A small island called Jukdo lies just off the coast of Ulleungdo, and I'd be tempted to identify this small island with the one on the map, but since the actual Jukdo lies east of Ulleungdo, identifying it with the map's mystery island founders on the same rock of directionality.

I give up, for now.

For those interested in what one blogger has to say about the entire issue of who owns Dokdo, go to the blog of Gerry Bevers, starting with his entry for May 1, 2006 -- What is the history of Ulleungdo? (Introduction) -- and following his investigation from that point.

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7 Comments:

At 4:10 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"My official position is that Dokdo belongs to Korea.

Unofficially, I don't really know, and the museum didn't help me to decide one way or the other because the information was all in Korean ... except for a brochure written in strange English."

Jeffery, you continue to crack me up laughing with your wit. That about sums up my own position, too, although I'd also say the present 50 year occupation of Dokdo is a good enough reason to say that Dokdo is Korean.

 
At 8:08 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

I probably need to carefully read all of the blog entries by Gerry Bevers on this issue to begin to make an informed judgement.

Meanwhile, I hold to my official position.

Jeffery Hodges

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At 11:08 AM, Blogger jj mollo said...

If Korea were to take the north half of Japan, I would not say it was unjust. If Japan were to take the north half of Korea, I would rejoice.

 
At 11:38 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

JJ Mollo, on this point, I'll take refuge behind the considerable bulk of Falstaff and echo him in stating that:

"The better part of valour is discretion; in the which better part I have saved my life."

I hope to be living in Korea for some time.

Jeffery Hodges

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At 6:21 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

GI Korea, thanks for the reference.

Jeffery Hodges

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At 10:25 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Typical Korean scolor shows old maps in the Kanwon-do map or Full Peninsula map and they claims Usando is Liancourt Rocks.But it is huge distorture.

There are many ulluengdo detail maps drawn by Korean official Uluengo inspector team from 1694-1882. All of these shows Usan is Boussole Rock-Jukdo, not Liancourt Rocks. In adddition , no description about Lianourt Rocks each records.they inspector team reports Usando is north of Ululengdo with bamboo field.

 
At 10:42 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

'Park Changho', you have unusual views for a Korean, and I see from my Site Meter that you're located in Kawasaki, Japan. If I were a suspicious man, I'd suspect that you were a Japanese individual trying to impersonate a Korean.

But I'm not a suspicious man.

Anyway, the maps that I have seen are not especially clear in supporting Korea's arguments, but I also note that Japan's position looks rather weak, for in 1905, when Japan laid claim to the rocks, it called them "terra nullius," which means that Japan was acknowledging that it had no prior claim to those rocks. See my blog entry of October 14, 2008.

Jeffery Hodges

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