This is the second of a five-part series examining Korean and Japanese claims regarding Dokdo, and the cause of the territorial dispute over the rocky islets sitting midway between the two countries. -- ED.
By Lee Tae-hoon
For Hong Seong-keun, it’s hard to separate his family history from his dedication to advocating the truth behind Japan’s unlawful seizure of Dokdo in 1905.
The international law expert at the Dokdo Research Institute of the Northeast Asian History Foundation is a native of Ulleung Island in the East Sea.
And his family for generations has lived on the island, located less than 90 kilometers away from Dokdo islets.
He knows by history — both personal and general — why Japan’s seizure of Dokdo as its Shimane Prefecture on Feb. 22, 1905, was illegitimate.
“Historical records show my great-great grandfather Hong Jae-hyun sailed for Dokdo 45 times to gather seaweed and hunt sea lions since 1902 or 1903,” he said, noting that his family has been eyewitness to Japan’s historical fabrication on the history of Dokdo.
His great-great grandfather’s interview with prominent historians, including Shin Seok-ho, in the late 1940s, is considered as crucial evidence that helps Seoul dismiss Tokyo’s groundless claim that the rocky islets were terra nullius, or land belonging to no one.
“Japan’s annexation of Dokdo in 1905 was one of the first signs that it was harboring ambitions to occupy the entire Korean Peninsula through military aggression,” Hong said.
Tokyo annexed the rocky islets into its own territory in 1905 without notifying Seoul amidst the Russo-Japanese War, ignoring the fact that Dokdo was considered a part of home for Ulleung islanders, including Hong’s family.
His uncle Hong Soon-chil, who had returned to Ulleung Island after suffering an injury during the Korean War (1950-53), organized the legendary Dokdo Voluntary Guard in 1953, upon discovering a wooden signpost that describes Dokdo as Takeshima.
Takeshima is the Japanese name for Dokdo.
Soon-chil and other volunteers engaged in multiple exchanges of gunfire with Japanese Coast Guard patrol boats to stop Tokyo’s reoccupation of Dokdo until the police assumed official responsibility for its defense in December 1956.
For generations, Hong’s family described Dokdo as “Munjeonokdap,” fertile paddies in front of the house, as they have long been aware that the islets are rich in fisheries and located in close proximity to Ulleung Island.
Hong Seong-keun claims that discovery and geographical contiguity are two key factors in determining the sovereignty of a disputed territory.
The classic application of the visibility factor in international law was a territorial dispute over the Island of Palmas between the Netherlands and the United States in 1928.
Nevertheless, Japan argues that there is no evidence that Korea recognized the existence of Dokdo, saying Dokdo cannot be seen with the naked eye from Ulleung Island.
Hong said, “Such a claim is completely absurd as the majority of Ulleung islanders have seen the rocky islets without a telescope or other optical devices.”
He argues that, on average, you can see Dokdo from Ulleung Island three to four times a month.
“Despite my bad eyesight, which exempted me from active military duty, I grew up watching Dokdo near my house,” the Dokdo expert said.
Hong even published a book, called “Dokdo, it can be seen from Ulleung Island,” based on the surveys of Ulleung people on their observation from July 2008 through December 2009.
He notes that the best spot for observing Dokdo is the residential areas of Ulleung Island.
Dokdo, which Korea recognized since the 6th century, is located roughly twice as closer to Hong’s birthplace of Ulleung Island than Oki Islands, the closest area in Japan to Dokdo.
Dokdo is located 87.4 kilometers from Ulleung Island and 157.5 kilometers from Oki Islands.
He said although Japan’s Meiji government incorporated Dokdo into Japanese territory in 1905, initially even it recognized the islets as belonging to Korea.
“With the beginning of the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the Japanese government began compiling land registers,” he said.
“And based on extensive research, the Meiji government made it clear in 1877 that Ulleung Island and Dokdo were Korean territory, saying they had nothing to do with Japan.”
Historical records show that Japanese officials carefully studied whether it would be appropriate to include Ulleung Island and Dokdo as their territory upon an inquiry from Shimane Prefecture, but concluded that they are not part of Japan.
Still, Japan pushed Dokdo’s annexation to Shimane Prefecture in 1905 as part of its move to install its military facilities in major strategic areas on the Korean Peninsula.
“The Russo-Japanese War provided Japan with an opportunity to secure Dokdo, which Japan had had an eye on, for strategic military purposes,” Hong said.
In April 1904, Japan established military headquarters in Korea and dispatched troops throughout the country.
In July of that year, Japan deployed its troops in Hamgyeong Province and its military police took control of civilian police forces in Seoul and nearby provinces by January 1905.
Hong pointed out that the Japanese military was acutely aware of the strategic value of Ulleungdo and Dokdo, the waters where the southward-bound Russian Vladivostok Fleet engaged the Japanese fleet.
Enjiro Yamaza, head of the Bureau of Political Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the time of Russo-Japanese War, proposed actively to promote the territorial incorporation of Dokdo.
“The territorial incorporation of Dokdo was utterly essential, particularly now,” Yamaza said according to historical documents.
However, Japan is still hesitating to admit that Dokdo was the first Korean territory to be colonized and the last piece of land to withdraw its unlawful occupation.
● June 23, 1903: Japan negotiates with Russia over Russia’s recognition of Japanese interests in Korea in exchange for Japan’s recognition of Russian interests in Manchuria through the “Exchange of Manchuria for Korea.”
● Feb. 10, 1904: Japan declares war on Russia, two days after launching a surprise attack on two Russian warships and one cruiser in Port Arthur on Feb. 8.
● Feb. 24, 1904: Japan coerces Korea to sign a “Korea-Japan Protocol Agreement,” which allows it to occupy strategic areas of the Korean Peninsula for military purposes.
● May 18, 1904: Japan abrogates all Korea-Russia treaties.
● Sept. 24, 1904: A Japanese warship discovers Korean fishermen from Ulleung Island on Dokdo and assesses the feasibility of building watchtowers there.
● Sept. 29. 1904: Japanese fisherman Yosaburo Nakai files a petition to incorporate and lease Dokdo.
● Nov. 20, 1904: Japan conducts a detailed survey of Dokdo’s topography for the purpose of building a military observation and telegraph station.
● Jan. 10, 1905: Home Minister Akimasa Yoshikawa sends a secret message to Prime Minister Taro Katsura about “The case regarding the uninhabited island,” and requests the holding of a Cabinet meeting to consider the incorporation of Dokdo.
● Jan. 28, 1905: During the cabinet meeting, Nakai’s “Request for the incorporation of Dokdo into Japan’s territory and for its lease” is approved and the decision is made to annex the islets.
● Feb. 22, 1905: Shimane Prefecture is notified by the Home Ministry of the cabinet’s decision, and announces the incorporation of Dokdo with “Shimane Prefectural Notice No. 40.”
● June 24, 1905: The Japanese Ministry of the Navy orders the construction of a wireless telegraph watchtower on the northern side of Ulleung Island, and an additional watchtower on Dokdo.
● July 25, 1905: Construction commences on the watchtower for Dokdo.
● October, 1905: Japan mobilizes two army divisions to establish command centers in Hamheung and Pyongyang and places its troops throughout Korea.
● Nov. 9, 1905: Japan lays a submarine communications cable between Dokdo and Matsue in Japan.