'Guardian of Dokdo' dies at 79

Kim Sung-do moved to Dokdo in 1965. Yonhap

By Jung Min-ho

Kim Sung-do, one of only two residents on Korea's easternmost islets, has died.

Kim died at Asan Medical Center in Seoul, Sunday, after suffering from liver cancer for more than a month, according to the Ulleung-gun Office. He was 79.

Kim will be buried at the national cemetery in Daejeon.

Kim, known as “the guardian of Dokdo,” started living on the island in 1965. He and his wife Kim Shin-yeol became official Dokdo residents when they moved their address there in November 1991.

Japan has long claimed sovereignty over the territory ― one of the thorniest diplomatic issues between the countries.