Lies, Half-truths, & Dokdo Video, Part 1

Author: Gerry-Bevers  //  Category: Verus Historia

Below is a video that claims that Dokdo (Liancourt Rocks) was historically Korean territory. I had intended to go through the video and point out all of the lies, half-truths, and red-herring arguments that are in it, but there are so many that I got tired of counting. Instead of wasting my time doing that, I will just say this: There are no Korean maps or documents before 1905 that refers to any island in the Sea of Japan as “Dokdo,” including the 1900 Korean Imperial Proclamation mentioned by the American law professor. Therefore, everytime the video claims that a Korean map or document says “Dokdo,” you will know that it is a lie.

Old Korean maps and documents referred to two islands in the Sea of Japan (East Sea). The islands were Ulleungdo (Muleungdo) and Usando. Koreans claim that Usando was Dokdo (Liancourt Rocks), so when they see Usando mentioned in a Korean document or on a Korean map, they often just call it Dokdo instead of using the name on the map or in the document. However, that is not only confusing, it is a big mistake because Korea’s historical maps and documents suggest that Usando was actually Jukdo, which is a small island less than four kilometers off the east coast of Ulleungdo. This means that when the video talks about Japanese documents saying this or that about “Dokdo,” the documents are most likely referring to Ulleungdo’s neighboring island, Jukdo, not to present-day Dokdo.

Old Korean maps show Usando next to Ulleungdo, not ninety-three kilometers to the southeast, which is where present-day Dokdo is. Old Korean documents say that Usando was fertile and had trees and other plant life, but present-day Dokdo is just barren rocks with no trees and little or no plant life. Even though Koreans have recently been bringing soil to the rocks to try to grow some small plants there, the plants there are still insignificant, and there are certainly no trees. Old Korean documents also talk about people living on Usando, which means that it could not have been Dokdo since Dokdo does not have the water or soil to support people.

Below the video link, I will give links to old Korean maps and quote old Korean documents that prove that Usando could not have been present-day Dokdo, but first watch the video and see how many lies and half-truths you can find.

Dokdo Video Link

Samguksagi (1145 A.D.)

In the summer month of June in the 13th year (512 A.D.), Usan-guk (于山國) surrendered and began paying tributes in local products. Usan-guk is a island in the sea due east of Myeongju, and is also called Ulleungdo. The area of the land measures 100 ri.

Notice that the quote says that Usan-guk (Country of Usan) was another name for Ulleungdo. The area given for the island also corresponds with the area of Ullengdo. By the way, Usan-guk literally means “big mountain country,” and Ulleungdo literally means “luxuriant big-hill island.” Is that just a coincidence?Samgukyusa (approximately 1277 A.D.)

U-leung-do (于陵島), now called U-leung (羽陵) is in the middle of the sea, two days due east of Haseulla-ju (now Myeongju) if the wind is favorable. It has a circumference of 26,730 paces.

In the above quote, Ulleungdo is referred to as U-leungdo. In this record, the “U” in U-leungdo is the same Chinese character used for the “U” in Usando. Again, that suggests that Usando and Ulleungdo were originally just two names for the same island.

April 15, 1412 (Annals of King Taejong)

In accordance with Uijongbu orders, methods for dealing with the people of Yusanguk-do were discussed. The governor of Kangwon Province reported that twelve people from Yusanguk-do, including Baek Ga-mul, came and anchored at Eorajin in Koseong and said the following:

We grew up on Mu-leungdo, where eleven families lived with a total of more than sixty men and women. Now we have moved to the main island and are living there. The island’s distances from east to west and north to south are each two shik (60 ri), and its circumference is eight shik (240 ri). There are no cows or horses or rice paddies on the island, but if we plant just one mal of beans, we harvest twenty to thirty seok. If we plant one seok of barley, we harvest more than fifty seok. The bamboo are as big as rafters, and there are all kinds of sea products and fruit trees.”

Notice that the governor said the twelve people came from an island called “Usanguk-do,” which means the “Island of Usanguk.” What is interesting about the above record is that the people said they grew up on an island called “Muleungdo,” but later moved to the “main island,” which we can assume was “Usanguk-do.” That would mean that Muleungdo was a neighboring island of Usanguk-do and that it had the resources to support 11 families with a total of sixty men and women, which means that the neighboring island could not have been Dokdo since Dokdo is just barren rocks unable to support even a few people.

From the description given by the people of Usanguk-do, we know that the “main island” they were describing was Ulleungdo. That would mean that the neighboring island (Muleungdo), which they said they grew up on, was most likely Jukdo, which is the largest neighboring island of Ulleungdo. See the following map of present-day Ulleungdo:

According to the above 1412 quote, the residents of Ulleungdo were calling the main island “Usanguk-do” and its neighboring island “Muleungdo.” If Usanguk-do was referring to Ulleungdo, then that would mean that Muleungdo would have been off the east coast since the only neighboring islands of Ulleungdo are off its east coast. That would explain why early Korean maps of Ulleungdo show Usando to the west of Ulleungdo (Muleungdo). See the cutout of the 1530 Korean map that was shown in the video:

Notice in the above map that Usando (于山島) was drawn to the west of Ulleungdo (鬱陵島), which fits the description given by the residents of Usanguk-do in the above 1412 record.

By the way, the above Dokdo video claimed that the above map was the first Korean map to show “Dokdo.” The video forgot to mention, however, that the island they were claiming to be Dokdo was not called “Dokdo” and was west of Ulleungdo, which means it could not have been Dokdo since Dokdo it 92 kilometers southeast of Ulleungdo.

The names of the two islands did not switch until sometime in the 1700s.

September 2, 1416 (Annals of King Taejong)

Kim In-n was made Inspector of the Ulleungdo area.

Official (호조참판) Bak Seup said, “When I was governor of Gangwon Province, I heard that Muleungdo had a circumference of seven sik and had a small island next to it. It had fifty kyeol of farmland and a narrow entryway that only allowed people to travel single file; they could not walk two abreast. A long time ago a man named Bak Ji-yong lead fifteen families to the island and lived there. I also heard that they would sometimes conspire with Japanese pirates and steal. There is a man in Samcheok who knows that island. Please ask him to go there and check.”

The king considered that good advice and called Samcheok resident and former military commander Kim In-u and asked him about Muleungdo.

Kim In-u said, “Samcheok resident Lee Man has been to Muleungdo and knows the details of the island.” Lee Man was immediately sent for. Kim In-u added, “Muleungdo is far away in the middle of the sea, so there is not much contact with people there, which is probably why people flee to the island to escape military service. If there are many people living on the island, Japanese pirates will end up raiding it, and then use it to raid Gangwon Province.

The king agreed and made Kim In-u Inspector of the Muleungdo area. He also made Lee Man his assistant and give them two troop ships, two ship’s captains, two 引海 (인해), guns, gunpowder, and provisions. He told them to go to Muleungdo, talk to the leader there, and have them return. The king gave Kim In-u and Lee Man clothes, hats, and shoes.

In the above record, the former governor of Gangwon Province referred to Muleungdo as the main island, but he said that is also had a small neighboring island. I am pretty sure the former governor was governor of Gangwon Province before 1412, which means he was governor before the residents of Yusanguk-do (Usando) reported that Ullengdo’s main island was “Yusanguk-do” and its smaller neighboring island was “Muleungdo.”

When the king ordered Kim In-u to go inspect the island, he gave Kim the title of “Muleungdo Area Inspector” instead of just “Muleungdo Inspector.” This suggests that the king considered the news of neighboring islands when he created the title for Kim.

February 5, 1417 (Annals of King Taejong)

Inspector Kim In-u returned from Usando and brought local products as tribute, including large bamboo, seal skins, raw ramie cloth, silk wool, and geombak wood (trees). He also brought back three residents of the place. There were fifteen families living on the island for a total of 86 men and women. On his way back from the island, Kim In-u ran into two typhoons and barely made it back alive.

In September 1416, Kim In-u was given the title of “Muleungdo Area Inspector” and sent to Muleungdo to inspect the island. However, notice that the above record says that Kim returned from “Usando,” not Muleungdo. He also brought tribute that included large bamboo and tree products. That suggests that when Kim got to Muleungdo, the people there told him that their island was “Usando,” not Muleungdo. It does not say what the small, neighboring island was being called,” but one thing is clear. Kim got bamboo and wood products from Usando, which means that Usando was not Dokdo since Dokdo is just a couple of rocky islets with no such plants.

It appears that people on the mainland were referring to Ulleungdo as “Muleungdo” while the people who actually lived on the island was calling it “Usando.” Even with this information, people on the mainland still often referred to the area as “Muleungdo,” probably out of habit.

February 8, 1417 (Annals of King Taejong)

Minister Han Sang-gyeong told the six government authorities and the Daegan to discuss the best ways to evict the Usan-Muleung residents. They all said the following:

“Let’s not evict the Muleung residents. Wouldn’t it be better to give them grain and farming implements so that they will have a stable occupation? Then we can send a military commander to keep them pacified and determine the tribute.”

However, Kongjo Minister Hwang Hui, who was the sole dissenter, said, “Do not banish them, but quickly evict them.”

Then the king said,

Evicting them is the right strategy. Those people have avoided their national duty and have been living comfortably. If we decide on a tribute and install a commander, they will definitely not like it, so we cannot allow them to stay there for long. The appropriate thing to do is to keep Kim In-u as the area inspector, and send him back to the Usan-Muleung area to bring its residents to the mainland.”

Then, the king gave clothes, hats, and shoes [to Kim In-u]. He also gave a set of clothes to each of the three people from Usan. After that, he ordered the Gangwon provincial governor to supply two military ships and to choose a capable naval commander from his province to accompany Kim In-u.

In the above record, Korean ministers were discussing Kim In-u’s recent trip to Ulleungdo. Notice that the ministers referred to the residents of the island as the “Usan-Muleung residents,” which suggests that not only were Usan and Muleung neighboring islands, but that they both had people living on them. Notice also that the name “Usan” comes before “Muleung,” which suggests that it was the larger island. Finally, notice that Kim brought back three people from “Usan,” which means that Usando was inhabited. Again, Usando was not present-day Dokdo.

August 6, 1417 (Annals of King Taejong)

Japanese pirates loot Usan and Muleung islands.

Again, the above record suggests that Usando and Muleungdo were neighboring islands. If either of the two islands had been present-day Dokdo, then how would one island know that the other was looted, given that Dokdo it 92 kilometers southeast of Ulleungdo? Besides, what would there have been to loot on Dokdo?

August 8, 1425 (Annals of King Sejong)

Kim In-u, a former panjanggihyeonsa, was made inspector for the Usan/Muleung area. In 1416, the government sent In-u to Muleungdo to bring back former Pyonghae residents Kim Ul-ji, Lee Man, Kim Ul-geum, and others who had run away to live on Muleungdo. In 1423, twenty-three men and women, including Ul-ji, ran away back to the island. In May this year, seven people, including Ul-ji, left their wives and children on the island and came secretly in a small boat to Kumi-po in Pyeonghae County, where they were discovered. The governor arrested them, and sent an urgent message from his village to bring back immediately the people still on the island. With fifty men, military equipment, and 3-months of rations, In-u got on a ship and left. The island is in the middle of the East Sea. In-u was from Samcheok.

Notice in the above record that Kim In-u was still being referred to as the “Usan-Muleungo Area Inspector,” and was sent to “Muleungdo” to bring back people living on the island. Again, the title suggests that Usan and Muleungdo were neighboring islands. I think the Muleungdo here is just a general reference to the area.

October 20, 1425 (Annals of King Sejong)

Usan-Muleung Area Inspector Kim In-u reported that he searched out and captured twenty men and women who went to “the island” (either “the island” or “main island”) to escape government service. In the beginning, In-u commanded two military transport ships, but one ship, with forty-six sailors on board, disappeared after encountering winds on the way to Muleungdo.

The king said to his ministers, “What do we gain by capturing twenty people when we lose more than forty? There are no special products on the island, so the reason people go there is simply to avoid government service.”

When Kim Ja-ji, the Minister of Rites, Protocol, Culture, and Education, requested that those captured on the island be judged according to the law, the king said, “These people did not secretly follow someone to a foreign country. Moreover, such transgressions were pardoned in the past, so giving out new punishment would be wrong.”

The king ordered the Ministry of Military Affairs to send the people to a village far away and deep in the mountains of Chungcheong Province so that they cannot run away again. He also ordered that they be exempt from government service and taxes for three years.

Notice that Kim In-u returned from “Muleungdo” with twenty people he found on the island.

June 19, 1436 (Annals of King Sejong)

Gangwon Provincial Governor Yu Gye-mun said: “The land of Muleungdo’s Usan is fertile and has many products. It is surrounded by the sea and is about 50 ri from both north to south and east to west. It is surrounded by rock cliffs, and there are also places where ships can anchor. Please allow me to gather people to settle this place. If we do this and assign a magistrate there, it will likely be a long-lasting endeavor.” The request, however, was denied royal sanction.

In the above record, the Gangwon provincial governor asked permission to settle “Muleungdo’s Usan,” which suggests that Usan was a part of the Muleungdo island group. The fact that he wanted to settle Usan instead of Muleungdo suggests that Usan was the main island. In fact, his description of Usan fits that of the main island of Ulleungdo.

February 8, 1437 (Annals of King Sejong)

The king wrote to Gangwon Provincial Governor Yu Gye-mun:

“In the autumn of 1436, you said that because the land of Muleungdo was so fertile that crop yields were ten times greater than the mainland and that because it had many products, it would be an good place to set up a hyeon (an administrative district) with a magistrate. You said we should consider it as a fence for the Yeongdong region (eastern Gangwon Province). I immediately had the ministers discuss the issue with several people and all of them said, ‘The island is too far from the mainland and the wind and waves are so severe that unforeseen difficulties would likely occur and, therefore, would be unsuitable for the establishment of a settlement. They recommended that it be left as it is.’”

“Now you say that you have heard from elderly residents that Japanese pirates used to come there and live for several years while raiding the Youngdong region, which left the area almost empty. I also think that Japanese pirates used to run wild while living on Daemado (Tsushima), raiding the Yeongdong region and even up to Hamgil Province. It has been a long time since people have been on Muleungdo, so if Japanese pirates have already occupied the island, then there is no telling what misfortunes lie ahead. However, now the circumstances are too difficult to set up a new hyeon, appoint a magistrate, and move citizens there. Instead, if we sent people to search the island each year and also gathered local products or set up a grazing area for horses, Japanese pirates may think the land belonged to us and think twice about secretly occupying it.”

“How long ago was it that Japanese pirates came and lived there? How many of these so-called elderly people are there? If we are going to send people, when are the wind and waves calm? Which month? If we go onto the island, what kind of equipment will we need and how many ships? Investigate thoroughly and report.”

The following report seems to be King Sejong’s response to the Gangwon provincial governor’s request to settle “Muleungdo’s Usan”; however, notice that the king referred to the island as “Muleungdo,” not “Muleungdo’s Usan.” The king and the governor were obviously talking about the same place, so that suggests that “Muleungdo” was either just another name for Usan or a general reference to the island group. I think it was the latter, given that the governor had specifically asked to settle “Usan.”

So far there has been nothing in Korea’s historical records to suggest that either Muleungdo or Usando was a reference to Dokdo. Instead, the records suggest that the islands were neighboring islands and that Usan was the larger of the two. The records also say that both islands had plant life on them and were inhabited at one time or another.

Okay, so where do Koreans get the idea that Usando was a reference to Dokdo? Well, they claim that the proof is in the following 1454 record, which comes from the geography text of King Sejong. The record is actually a description of Uljin-hyeon, which was the equivalent of a county in Gangwon Province. When Koreans quote the record, however, they usually omit the description of Uljin-hyeon and focus on only one or two sentences in the record. I will post the complete record because I think it is important to read the specific qoute in context.

1454 (Annals of King Sejong, Geography Text)

Uljin-hyeon
One Jihyeonsa

Originally named “Ujinya-hyeon” during Koguryeo, the name was changed to its present name during Silla and made a gun. During Koryeo it was called “Uljin-hyeon,” which is still being used during our dynasty. People in the hyeon say that in the past it has also called “Bani-gun” and Seonsa-gun.

Yaksa-jin is to the south of the hyeon, and Goljang-jin is to the north. Its boundries stretch eight ri east to the mouth of the sea, sixty-three ri west to Andong’s Socheon-hyeon in Gyeongsang Province, thirty-seven ri south to Pyeonghae, and thirty-two ri north to Samcheok.

It has 270 lakes and a population of 1,430. Its military includes thirty-eight soldiers, seventy sailors, and four fortress guards. There are five local family names: Im (林), Jang (張), Jeong (鄭), Bang (房), and Yu (劉). There is also a Min (閔) from Yeongju.

Half the land is fertile and half is not. They make their living by fishing, but they also venerate martial arts. They cultivate about 1,351 gyeol of land, of which one third is rice paddies. The land produces the five grains, mulberry, hemp, persimmons, chestnuts, pears, and paper mulberry. They paid tribute of honey, beeswax, iron, wallnuts, mushrooms, gallnut, prickly ash, brown seaweed, lacquer, cured venison, fox pelts, wildcat pelts, deerskins, tiger pelts, pig hair (used for brushes), codfish, octopus, gray mullet, abalone, and hard-shelled mussel. The medicinal herbs they have are bokryeong mushrooms, Angelica uchiyamana root, Angelica decursiva root, bletilla, Schisandra chinensis, and ginseng. They have sixty-one local products, including slender bamboo, large bamboo, and salt.

There is one porcelain pottery shop ten ri to the north at Singok-ri, and one crockery shop twelve ri to the north at Gamdae-ri. All of their products are of poor quality.

The Hwangsan Stone fortress has a circumference of 616 paces 5 cheok, and is sometimes used as a the village fortress. Inside is four springs and one pond. The pond sometimes dries up during severe dought, but the springs never do.

There is a hot springs forty-four ri to the north, west of Heungbu Horse Station at Gusu-u Mulsan-dong. There are three horse stations: Heungbu (興富), which used to be Heungbu (興府); Deoksin (德神), which used to be Deoksin (å¾·æ–°); and Susan (守山), which used to be Susan (壽山). There are four signal fire stations. One is said to be at Mount Jukjin, which is south of the hyeon past Mount Jeonbanin and north of Pyeonghae’s Sadong Mountain. One is said to be at Jukbyeon Point, which is north of Mount Jukjin. One is said to be at Mount Geungchuldo, which is north of Jukbyeon Point. And the last is at at Samcheok’s Mount Gagok, which is north of Mount Geungchuldo.

Two islands, Usan and Muleung, are due east of the hyeon in the middle of the sea. The distance between these two islands is not far, so they are visible on a clear, windy day. During the time of Silla they were called Usanguk or Ulleungdo. [It] has an area of 100 ri.

People had thought the land to be too rugged to subjugate. However, in the twelfth year of King Lee Jijeung (512 A.D.), Isabu became the commander of Hasula-ju (an area that was around Kangneung), and said, “The people of Usan are ignorant and savage, so since it would be difficult to subjugate them with strength, we must use tricks.” He made many ferocious animals from wood, loaded them on his warships, went to the island, and told the people there: “If you do not surrender, I will release their ferocious beasts so that they can eat you. The people of the island were afraid and came and surrendered.

In the thirteenth year of Goryeo’s Taejo (930 A.D.), the people of the island (Ulleungdo) sent Baek Gil and To Du to pay tribute (see here) . In the thirteenth year of Eui Jong (1159 A.D.), Simchalsa Kim Yu-rip and others returned (from the island) and said, “There was a big mountain in the middle of the island. The distance from its peak to the sea was more than 10,000 paces to the east, 13,000 paces to the west, 15,000 paces to the south, and 8,000 paces to the north. There were remains of seven villages on the island. There were also a stone Buddha, a bell, and a stone pagoda. A lot of dropwort, mugwort, and moorwort grow on the island.”

It is said that during the time of our (King) Taejo (1392 ~1398 A.D.), a great many of our wandering people ran away to the island. Samcheon resident Kim In-u was again ordered to be the anmusa and to forcefully evict the people there and to leave the land empty. In-u said, “The land is fertile. The bamboo are as big as columns, the rats as big as cats, and the peach seeds as big a doi. All of its products are like that.”

Notice that the record is describing Uljin-hyeon and its surroundings by using Uljin-hyeon as a reference point and then giving compass directions and distances to the surrounding villages, military camps, and local landmarks. It also refers to Usando and Muleungdo by giving their location as follows:

Two islands, Usan and Muleung, are due east of the hyeon in the middle of the sea. The distance between these two islands is not far, so they are visible on a clear, windy day. During the time of Silla they were called Usanguk or Ulleungdo. [It] has an area of 100 ri.

When referring to the locations of the other places around Uljin-hyeon, the record gave a direction and then the distance in ri, but in the case of Usando and Muleungdo, after it gave the compass direction, instead of giving the distance in ri, it gave it by saying that it was close enough to be seen on a clear, windy day.

When Koreans look at the above record, they say that the record was referring to the distance between the two islands, themselves, not to the distance between the two islands and Uljin-hyeon. However, if that were the case, then we would not know where the two islands were. We would only know that they are due east of Uljin-hyeon, but we would not know how far east. With the Korean interpretation, the two islands could have been on the other side of the Sea of Japan, which would not be very helpful to people reading the geography book. Besides, after giving the distance to Muleungdo and Usando, the record gave the size of only one island, which suggests that the two islands were close enough together to be considered as one. Remember, Dokdo is 92 kilometers southeast of Ulleungdo.

Not only does the Korean interpretation of the 1454 record not make sense in the context of the 1454 record, it does not make sense in the context of all the records up to that point. There has been nothing in any of the previous records that would suggest that either Muleungdo or Usando was a reference to present-day Dokdo. On the contrary, the records suggest that Muleungdo and Usando were neighboring islands close enough to each other to cause name confusion. The records tell us that both islands had plant life on them, which did not exist on Dokdo. Both islands have also been described using the dimensions of Ulleungdo, suggesting again that they were close enough to cause name confusion. The records also tell us that people lived on both Muleungdo and Usando, but Dokdo did not have the soil, water, or other resources needed to support a settlement.

If anyone still thinks that the Korean interpretation of the 1454 record is reasonable, then let’s put a stake in its heart by looking at the following 1531 record, Sinjeundonggukyeojiseungram, which says the following:

Usando - Ulleungdo (鬱陵島)

Also called Muleung (武陵) and U-leung (羽陵), these two islands are in the middle of the sea due east of the county. Three peaks shoot up to the sky. The southern peak is a little smaller. When it is windy and the weather is clear, the trees at the top of the peaks and the sand at their feet are clearly visible. With a good wind, you can travel there in two days. It is said that Usan and Ulleung were once one island with an area of 100 ri.

Notice that the above record says that on a clear, windy day the trees on the peaks and the sand at their feet can be clearly seen. This tells us that the record was not talking about Dokdo since Dokdo does not have any trees or sandy beaches. Notice also that the record says that you can travel to the islands in two days, which is how long it used to take to travel to Ulleungdo. To travel to Dokdo, it would have required three days travel time.

Below is a 1710 map of Usando and Ulleungdo with lines drawn to the two islands from the mainland.

On the bottom line drawn to the two islands, it says, “Two days travel time by boat.” That means that the two islands were next to each other. If either of the islands had been Dokdo, it would have required an extra travel day. By the way, in 1710, notice that Korean maps were still showing Usando west of Ulleungdo.

Finally, consider the question of whether Koreans in Chosun Korea were able to see Dokdo from Ulleungdo. Instead of arguing all of the reasons why it would have been difficult, I am just going to suggest that you watch the Dokdo video again. In the video, we saw a picture of Ulleungdo taken from a helicopter flying over Dokdo. Even when the camera zoomed out, we could still see a tiny Ulleungdo on the horizon. Well, this time when you watch the video, imagine you are not flying in a helicopter. And instead of looking at Ulleungdo, imagine you are looking at an island 429 times smaller than Ulleungdo.

Usando was most likely Jukdo, a small island less than four kilometers off the east coast of Ulleungdo. The following Korean maps of Ulleungdo clearly show that Usando was a neighboring island of Ulleungdo, not Dokdo, which is an island 92 kilometers away from Ulleungdo.

Korean Maps proving Usando was not Dokdo

(Gerryの投稿の日本語訳です。)

嘘、(欺瞞に満ちた)半面の真理、そして(人の注意をそらすような)空論

これは、韓国政府による”独島” (竹島/Liancourt Rocks)が歴史的に韓国の領土であることを主張するビデオです。最初はビデオを最後まで見ながら一つ一つ問題点を指摘しようと思っていました。しかし、余りにも多くの嘘、欺瞞に満ちた半面の真理、そして人の注意をそらすような実の無い論議に満ち満ちており、それらを数えているうちにすっかりイヤになってしまいました。そんな事をして貴重な時間を無駄にするより、私はただ、次のように言いたいと思います。「1905年以前の韓国の地図や文献には、日本海に浮かぶいかなる島も、“独島”と言う名称で呼ばれていた事を示すものは無い。」ということです。「アメリカ人の法学教授が言った」という1900年公布の大韓帝国勅令第41号も、もちろんその中の一つです。つまり「韓国の地図や文献が“独島”の事を言っている」とビデオの中で流れる度に、それは嘘だ、と言うことが分かるでしょう。

韓国の古い地図や文献には、日本海(東海)に浮かぶ二つの島について記述があります。その島の名前は、鬱陵島(武陵島)と于山島です。韓国人は、于山島が“独島”のことだと主張しており、そのため韓国の地図や文献の中に于山島という名前が出てくると、彼等は記述されている通りの名前ではなく、自動的にその島を独島と呼び変えてしまうのです。しかし、それはとても誤解を生じ易いというだけではなく、そもそも大きな誤りだと言えます。というのも、こうした地図や文献の中に出てくる于山島は、実際には竹嶼(竹島/Jukdo)という、鬱陵島の東沖4kmに満たない近い距離にある小さな島嶼のことを示しているのです。このことはつまり、ビデオの中で「日本側の文献が“独島”について何らかの記述がある」といっている時は、鬱陵島の隣接島の“竹嶼(竹島・Jukdo)”の事をいっていることになります。現在の“独島”のことではないのです。

韓国の古地図には、于山島が鬱陵島のすぐ隣に描かれており、その場所は現在の独島 (竹島/Liancourt Rocks)が位置している鬱陵島東南93km沖ではありません。韓国の古い文献には于山島はとても肥沃な土地で、木や他の植物が生えている、と記述していますが、独島 (竹島/Liancourt Rocks)はただの岩山で木はおろか植物さえ殆ど生えていません。最近韓国人が土を持ち込んで植物を植えようとしていますが、それも目立つようなものではなく、木に至っては全くありません。韓国の古い文献では于山島の住民についても記述があります。それもこの島が“独島”ではありえない事を意味しています。独島 (竹島/Liancourt Rocks)には水も土も無く、人が生きていくことが出来ないからです。

ビデオへのリンクの下に、于山島が現在の独島 (竹島/Liancourt Rocks)では有り得ない事を証明する韓国の古地図や、古い文献からの引用へのリンクを示します。しかし、まずは問題のビデオを見て、いくつ嘘や欺瞞に満ちた半面の真理を見つけられるか、試して見て下さい。

“独島”ビデオへのリンク〈リンク〉
〈日本語スクリプトへのリンク〉

“(1145年) 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
13年(512年)夏(6月)、于山国が服属し、その年から貢物をした。于山国は、溟州の真東にあり、別名鬱陵島ともいう。四方は100里ある。”

「于山国は、別名鬱陵島ともいう」と記述されている事に注目して下さい。文中の面積も鬱陵島の面積とほぼ一致します。ところで于山国とは文字通り、“大きな山の国”という意味で、鬱陵島は“こんもり茂る大きな丘の島”の意味です。これは単なる偶然の一致でしょうか?

“(1277年頃) 三国遺事 巻一 智哲老王
以前琵羅州と呼ばれていた溟州の東の海中、風がよければ2日ほどの距離に、于陵島がある。その島は現在羽陵と呼ばれており、周囲の距離は26,730歩ある。”

上記の引用で、鬱陵島は于陵島と記述されています。この記録の中では、于陵島の“于”は、于山島の“于”と同じ漢字が使用されています。このことから、于山島と鬱陵島は元々は一つの島に付けられた二つの名前であったことが窺い知れるのです。

“(1412年 4月15日)太宗実録12年4月巳巳条 
政府の命により、流山国島(Yusanguk-do)の人々をどう取り扱うべきかが議論された。江原道の観察使が流山国人の白加勿ら12名が高城の羅津にやってきて停泊し、言った事を次のように報告した。‘私達は武陵島で生まれ育ったが、後に本島に移住して今はそこに住んでいる。その島には11の家族がおり、全部で60人以上の住民がいる。島の距離は、東西と南北はそれぞれ2息〈60里〉で、周囲は8息(240里)ある。牛馬、水田は無いが、豆を1斗植えれば20石とれる。麦を1石植えれば50石余りの収穫が見込める。竹は椽〈たるき〉のように大きく、沢山の海産物や果物の木がある。’”

知事が“流山国”と呼ばれる島(Yusanguk-do)から12人の人々がやってきた、と発言していることにお気づきでしょうか。さらに面白いのは、人々は“武陵島”と呼ばれる島で生まれ育ったものの、のちに于山国島と考えられる“本島”へ移動したと言っている事です。それはつまり、武陵島は于山国島に隣接する島で、11家族60人もの人間が生活できるだけのライフサポート=生活必需品があったのです。ということは、その隣接する島は、2,3人の人でさえ住めないただの岩山である独島/竹島では有り得ない訳です。

住民による流山国島の描写から、“本島”が鬱陵島のことを指していることが分かります。隣接する、彼等が生まれ育った島(武陵島)はほぼ確実に、鬱陵島の最大の付属島である竹嶼/竹島〈Jukdo)であると言えます。下に、現在の鬱陵島の地図を揚げました。

地図1:現在の鬱陵島

上記の1412年の文献の引用によりますと、鬱陵島の住民は本島を“于山国島”と呼んでおり、隣接する島を“武陵島”と呼んでいました。もし、于山国島が鬱陵島の事を指しているのなら、武陵島はその東岸沖にあったはずです。と言うのも、鬱陵島の付属島は東岸沖にしかないからです。それは、何故初期の韓国の鬱陵島の地図では、于山島が鬱陵島の西に描かれていたのか、説明がつきます。ビデオの中に出てきた、1530年の韓国の地図からの切り抜きをご覧になって下さい。

地図2: 八道総図 (1530)からの抜粋

この地図で、于山島が鬱陵島の西に描かれていることがお分かりでしょうか。これは、上で説明した1412年の太宗実録の記録の中で、于山国島の住民が行った2島の位置関係の描写と一致します。

ところで、独島ビデオの中で、この地図が韓国の地図で初めて“独島“の事を描いたものだ、と言っていますが、この地図の中では“独島”であるはずの島は“独島”とは呼ばれていません。しかも鬱陵島の西にあるので、実際は鬱陵島南東沖92kmに位置する”独島” (竹島/Liancourt Rocks)ではありえません。

これら2つの島の名前は1700年代になって初めて入れ替わるのです。

“(1416年9月2日) 大宗実録16年丙申九月庚寅条
金麟雨〈キム・インウ)を武陵地域の安撫使に任命した。戸曹参判の朴習はこう言った。「私が江原道の都観察使(長官・知事)だった時、こう聞いた。‘武陵島の 周囲は7息で, そばに 小島があり, 田地が 50結ほどになるのに、その道は人が並んで歩く事はできないほど狭い。昔、方之用という者がおり、15戸の家族を率いて住み、時に仮倭(倭寇の振りをした朝鮮人)として盗みを働いた。その島を知っている者が三陟にいるので、使いをやって見てきてください。’

王はそうすべきだと考え、三陟人の前万戸である金麟雨に武陵島について尋ねた。金麟雨は「三陟人の李万が武陵に行って戻ったことがあり、その島について詳しく知っているはずです。」と言い、すぐに李万を召還した。麟雨が言うには、「武陵島は遠く海の中にあり、互いに往来することが出来ないので、軍役を避ける者が時々逃げ込んで行くのです。もし この島に多くの人が接するようになれば、必ず侵犯して日本からやって来て盗みを働くでしょう。このようにして江原道を徐々に侵犯するやもしれません。」

王は納得し、金麟雨を武陵地域の安撫使に任命し、李万を伴わせて、兵船 2尺、抄工 2人、引海 2人、銃と火薬、食料を携えその島へ行き、島の頭目人を諭して、戻ってきた。王は金麟雨に衣服、かさ、靴を褒美に与えた。”

上記の記録で、前の江原道都観察使は、武陵島を本島と言っていますが、同時にその島には隣接する島があるとも言っています。おそらく彼は、1412年より以前に江原道都観察使の任に当たっており、“流山国島”の住民が鬱陵島の本島は、“流山国島”で、それより小さな隣接島は“武陵島”である、と伝えた時期より前だったのでしょう。

王が金麟雨に島の検察を命じたとき、彼は金に単なる“武陵の安撫使”では無く、“武陵地域の安撫使”と言う肩書きを与えたのです。つまり、王はこの肩書きを作ったとき隣接する島の噂を聞いていたと考えられるのです。

“(1417年2月5日) 大宗実録17年丁酉二月壬戌条
安撫使(検察使)の金麟雨が于山島から戻り、土産に大竹、水牛皮、生苧、綿子、検撲(木業)木などの物を持ち帰り献上した。住民を3名連れて帰った。島には15戸の家族が住んでおり、人数は男女全員で86人である。島から帰還する際、再び台風に遭遇し、何とか生きて帰ることが出来た。”

1416年の9月に金麟雨は、“武陵地域の安撫使”と言う任務を拝命して武陵島へ検察へ赴きます。しかし、お気づきでしょうか。この記録の中で金は、“武陵島”ではなく“于山島”から戻った、と書かれています。彼はまた、大竹や木などのお土産を持ち帰っています。おそらく金が武陵島に着いた時、島の住民がそこは武陵島ではなく“于山島”だ、と教えたのでしょう。記録の中では近くの小さな島が何という名で呼ばれていたのか記述されていませんが、はっきりと言えることは、金は大竹や木などを于山島で採取したということです。つまり、于山島は独島ではない、ということです。独島はこうした植物の生えない二つの岩で出来た島に過ぎないからです。

“ (1417年2月8日) 大宗実録17年二月乙丑
右議政韓尚敬が6人の大臣に命じ、于山武陵から住民をどう退去させるか協議した。皆このように言った。「武陵の住民を退去させない方がよいでしょう。五穀を給付し、農機具を与えて、安心して農業をさせましょう。そして帥撫使(武官?)を派遣して年貢を定めればよいではないですか。」

しかし、工曹判書の黄喜だけは反対し、「彼等を定住させずに、速やかに退去させるべきです。」と申し上げた。

王曰く「住民を退去させるのがよいであろう。これらの人民は今まで使役を逃れのんきに暮らしてきた。もし年貢を定めて武官を常駐させれば、必ず恨みを持つだろう。よって、これ以上長く停留させるわけにはいかない。金麟雨を安撫使に留めておき、于山武陵地域にもう一度派遣して住民を島から退去して本土へ戻るよう引率させよう。」

王は(金麟雨へ)衣類、笠、及び靴を、また于山の住民3人に衣服を1揃いずつ与えた。そして江原道の観察使に命じ、兵船二隻を供給し、道内の水軍の中から有能な者を選んで麟雨に同行させるよう言った。”

上記の記録では、大臣達は金麟雨が最近行った鬱陵島検察について話し合っています。彼等が住民のことを“于山武陵の住民”と言っていることに注意して下さい。つまり、于山と武陵が隣同士の島であるだけでなく、どちらの島にも住民が居る事を物語っています。また、“于山”という名前が“武陵”の前に付いていることがお分かりでしょうか。つまり、于山の方が大きな島である可能性が高いのです。最後に、金が“于山”の住民三名を連れ帰ったことに注目します。つまり、于山島には人が住んでいたのです。ここでまた、于山島が現在の独島では無いことが証明されました。

“ (1417年8月6日) 大宗実録十七年八月条
倭寇が于山と武陵島を襲った。”

この記録は重ねて、于山島と武陵島が隣同士の島であったことを示しています。もし、二つの島のうちどちらかが現在の独島であるとすれば、どうやって片方の島が略奪にあっていることに気がつくのでしょう。92kmも離れているにも関わらず。そもそも、独島に略奪するものがあったのでしょうか?有り得ません。

“(1425年8月8日) 世宗実録世宗七年八月条
王(世宗)は金麟雨を再び于山武陵等安撫使に任命した。1416年、金乙之、李萬金、*(汚の右側)乙金ら、武陵島に住む平海の元住人の逃亡者を連れ帰った。1423年には金乙之を含む23人の男女が島へ逃げ戻った。その年5月、金乙之を含む7人の住民が妻や子を島に残して小さな船で海を渡り、平海の港へ密かに戻った所で発見された。監司は彼等を逮捕し、緊急の命令を出して島に残る住民を、村から一掃して連れ戻すように指示した。50人の人員と軍事物資を載せ、3ヵ月後金麟雨は船に乗り込み、出立した。その島は、東の海中にある。金麟雨は三陟の出身。”

上記の記録で、金麟雨は今だ“于山武陵等安撫使”と呼ばれている事にお気づきでしょうか。彼は再び武陵島に派遣され、住民を連れ帰るように命じられます。ここでまた、彼の肩書きが于山と武陵島が隣り合う島であることを示唆しています。私は、ここで使われている武陵島という名称はその地域の一般的な名称ではないかと思っています。

“(1425年10月20日) 世宗実録世宗7年10月乙酉條
于山武陵等處按撫使の金麟雨 は、使役の義務を逃れるために島に渡っていた男女20人を探して捕え、帰還した。最初、麟雨は兵船二隻を拝領して茂陵島へ向かったが、46名を載せた一隻の兵船が途中強い風に吹かれて失踪してしまった。

王が皆に言った。「20人を捕えるのに40人以上を失い、何の利益があろうか。あの島には特別な産物は無く、人々はただ賦役を逃れんがために島へ行くのであろう。」

禮曹參判の金自知が言った。「今般捉えた逃亡民は、法律にのっとって裁かれるべきです。」王曰く「これらの者どもは、誰かに従って外国へ行ったわけではなく、しかもこうした事例では、以前は赦免されているので、新たに罪を加えることはあってはならない。」

王は兵曹(法務省)に命じ、于忠清道の遠く深い山の中へ追放し、二度と逃亡出来ないようにした。また、3年間使役と年貢を免除した。”

金麟雨 が茂陵島から20名の島民を連れ帰ったことに注意して下さい。

“(1436年6月19日) 世宗実録世宗18年閏6月甲申條
江原道監司の柳季聞が言った。「武陵島牛山 は、土地が肥沃で東西南北はそれぞれ50余里ある。沿海部は四方が石の壁で囲まれており、船が停泊できる場所がある。どうか、私に許可を頂き民を集め、この地を開拓させてください。もし萬戸守令を置いていただければ、長く努力することでしょう。」この希望は、宮廷から却下された。”

上記の記録によると、江原道監司は“武陵島牛山”の開拓を願い出ており、つまり、于山が武陵島諸島に属していることを示しています。武陵島ではなく、牛山への移住を打診しているところから、于山が主島であることが分かります。事実、この于山の記述は、鬱陵島の主島の記述と合致します。

“世宗実録世宗19年2月(1437年2月8日)
江原道監司の柳季聞に対し王曰く‘1436年秋に茂陵島の土地は大変肥沃で、穀物は陸地の10倍とれ、多くの産物があるので県を設置し、守護を配置するのがよい、とお前は言った。また、そうすることで嶺東のフェンスとすべきだ、とも言った。すぐに大臣に命じ、討議させたが、皆口を揃えてこう言った。「この島は、本土から大変遠く、風と波が高く、不測の事態が起きやすい。よって、郡や県を設置するのは宜しくない。」

お前は、今になってこのように言う。‘古老が言うには、以前日本人がやって来て嶺東を略奪している間、島に住んでいた。また、対馬に住んで嶺東から、東は咸吉道を侵略していた。茂陵島はずっと無人島であったため崎に日本人が占拠していたなら、将来大変憂慮すべきことになる。しかし、県を設置し守護を派遣して、住民を移住させることが難しい。ならば、毎年人員を派遣して、あるいは島内を探索したり産物を採取したり、馬場を作るなどすれば、日本人はこの島が我が国の地であると考えるだろう。’

‘どのくらい前に日本人達はやって来て住んでいるのか?いわゆる古老とは、何人いるのか?もし人を派遣するとすれば、何月のいつ頃波風が適当なのか?島へ行くには装備、物資はいかほどか?船は何艘必要か?”

これらは、世宗が江原道監司の茂陵島開拓願に対する返答であるようです。しかし、王が“茂陵島の于山”ではなく、“茂陵島”と言っていることにお気づきでしょうか。王と監司は明らかに同じ場所について話しています。つまり、この“茂陵島”は単に于山の別名であるか、もしくは諸島グループを指す一般名なのでしょう。監司が前回は確実に“于山”の開拓を願い出ていた事を考えると、私は、おそらく後者の可能性が高いと思っています。

これまでずっと韓国の歴史的文献を見てきましたが、今の所、茂陵島や于山島が独島の事を指している事を伺わせるようなものは何もありませんでした。それどころか、記録を見るとその地域には隣り合う2つの島があり、于山島がその二つのうち大きな島の方である事を知ることが出来ます。記録では、どちらの島にも植物があり、ある時期には住民がいた事が記述されています。

では、一体韓国人は何処で于山島が独島を指していると言う考えを持ったのでしょう?実は、次に揚げる1454年の記録にその証拠がある、と彼等は主張しています。その記録とは、実際は江原道のある県にあたる、蔚珍県の様子を記述したものです。しかしながら、韓国人がこの記録を引用する時、彼等は蔚珍県の記述を全く省略してしまい、記録のうちたった1、2文だけを強調するのです。そこで、私はこの蔚珍県の記録の全文を載せようと思います。全体の文脈の中で問題の1,2文を読むことが、とても重用だと思うからです。

“1454年 世宗実録「地理志」
蔚珍県 監司(県知事)が1名いる。 高句麗時代の元の名称は于珍也県で新羅時代に現在の名称に変わり、郡になった。高麗時代には蔚珍県と呼ばれており、現王朝期も同じ名称でまだ呼ばれている。県の住民は、過去には半伊郡もしくは仙槎郞と呼ばれた、と言っている。

藥師津は県南部にあり、骨長津は県北部にある。県境は、東は海岸までの8里、西は慶尙道安東任內小川県までの63里、南は平海までの37里、北は三陟までの32里である。270の池があり、人口は1430。軍隊は侍衛軍〈陸軍?〉が38人、水軍が70人、城の近衛軍が4人である。住民の名前は林、張、鄭、房、劉である。栄川から来た郷吏の閔と言う姓もある。土地の半分は肥沃であるが、残りは違う。漁労で生計を立てているが、皆とても武芸を崇敬している。1351結の土地を耕し、その3分の1は稲田である。その他、五穀, 桑、麻、柿、栗、梨、楮(こうぞ)などを生産している。貢物としては、蜂蜜、黃蠟、鐵、胡桃、石茸、五倍子、川椒、藿、漆、鹿脯、狐皮、狸皮、獐皮、虎皮、猪毛、大口魚、文魚、水魚、全鮑、紅蛤。薬草は、茯苓、當歸、前胡、白芨、五味子、人蔘がある。地場産物は61あり、篠竹、大きい竹と塩を含む。磁器の製作所が薪谷里の北方10里の所に、陶器の製作所は甘大里の北方12里の所にある。製品は余り質がよくない。皇山石城は周囲が徒歩616歩5尺で、時に村になっている。城内には泉が4つ、池が1つある。池は旱魃の厳しい時は干上がってしまうが、泉は決して涸れない。仇水亏勿山洞西部の興富駅北方44里のところに、温泉がある。駅は興富(古称は興府)・德神(古称は德新)・守山(古称は壽山)の3つである。狼煙を挙げる場所が4ヶ所あり、そのうち一つは平海沙冬山の南、竹津山の北の全反仁山にある。2つ目は竹津山で、竹邊串の北にある。3つ目は竹邊串で、亘出道山の北にある。最後は亘出道山で、三陟可谷山の北にある。

県の西部の沖に于山、武陵という2つの島がある。これらの島々(と)の距離はさほど遠くなく、晴天で風のある日にはよく見える。新羅の時代には、于山國あるいは鬱陵島と呼ばれた。面積は100里である。

大変険しい土地で、征服するのが難しいと思われたが、智證王十二年 (512 A.D.)に、異斯夫という者が何瑟羅州軍の長となり、こう言った。「于山人は無知で野蛮なので、武力で征服するのは困難である。そこで、知略を施さなければならない。」彼は恐ろしく獰猛そうな猛獣を木で作り、複数の軍の船に分載して島へ行き、住民へこう告げた。「もし服従しなければ、猛獣達を島へ放してお前達を食わせてしまうぞ。」島の住民は、恐れおののいて出てきて、服従した。

高麗太祖十三年(930 A.D.)に、その島の住民は白吉と土豆を使いにして貢納した。〈ここを参照〈リンク〉)毅宗十三年には、審察使の金柔立たちが(島から)帰還しこう述べた。「島の中央に大きな山がある。頂から海岸までの距離は、東へ1万歩、西へ1万3千歩、南へ1万5千歩、北へ8千歩である。島には7つの村の跡がある。石仏像、鉄鐘、石塔もある。柴胡、蒿本、石南草が沢山自生している。

我が太祖の時代(1392 ~1398 A.D.)に、多くの人が島へ逃げ込んだ、と伝えられる。三陟の住民である金麟雨が再び按撫使に任命されて島へ向かい、島の住民を強制的に退去させ、空島とした。金麟雨はこう報告している。「島の土地はとても肥沃で、竹は柱の如く太く、鼠は猫の如く大きい。桃の種は升のように大きい。その島の産物は、皆そんな具合である。」”

この記録が、蔚珍県を比較の対照点としてそこから各地方〈村、軍駐屯地、名所〉の方角や距離を表しながら、蔚珍県とその周囲の様子を描いていることにお気づきでしょうか。于山島と武陵島についても次のようにその位置が述べられています。

“県の西部の沖に于山、武陵という2つの島がある。これらの島々(と)の距離はさほど遠くなく、晴天で風のある日にはよく見える。新羅の時代には、于山國あるいは鬱陵島と呼ばれた。面積は100里である。”

蔚珍県の周囲の他の場所について記述するとき、記録では方角と距離を里で表していますが、于山島と武陵島の場合、距離を里で示すかわりに、方角が示されてから、風のある晴れた日には目で見えるほど近くにある、と記述されています。

韓国人が上掲の記録を見て、これは2島の間の距離を示していて、2島と蔚珍県の間の距離を示しているのではない、と言いますが、そう解釈した場合、この2島が何処にあるかが分からなくなってしまいます。蔚珍県の真東にあることだけは分かりますが、どのくらい東にあるのか、不明になってしまうのです。韓国側の解釈法では、日本海の反対側にあってもよいことにさえなってしまい、地理学的な本を読んでいるはずの読者に、甚だ分かりづらいものです。記録では、片方の島の大きさしか記載されておらず、そのことから、この2島が一つの島だと考えられるほど距離が近かった、と推測できるのです。思い出してください。“独島”は鬱陵島の東南92km沖にあるのですよ。

1454年の記録に関する韓国側の解釈が記録全体の文脈のなかで説明になっていないだけでなく、全記録〈実録〉の中でもおかしな文章なのです。これ以前の記録のなかで、武陵島もしくは于山島のどちらにしても独島である事を示唆するものは存在しません。それどころか記録では、むしろ武陵島と于山島は隣り合う島で、名称の混乱が起こるほど近かった、ということを示唆しているのです。記録では、どちらの島にも、植生があったことが分かりますが、独島には植物が自生していません。また、記録では、どちらの島にも、人が住んでいたことが分かりますが、独島には土や水、その他の人間の定着に必要な資源が無いのです。武陵島と于山島はどちらの島も鬱陵島の面積を使って表されており、このこと自体もまた、名前の混乱が起こるほど近かった事を示しています。また、武陵島と于山島にはどちらも人が住んでいた、とありますが、独島はそれどころか土、水、その他の人が住むのに必要な資源が何も無いのです。

もし、1454年の記録に関する韓国側の解釈が理解できる、と言う人がまだいるとすれば、次に揚げる1531年の新増東国興地勝覧の記録を、ぜひ見てみましょう。

“1531年増補 新増東国興地勝覧
于山島-鬱陵島 武陵や羽陵とも呼ばれるこれらの2島は、県の真東の沖にある。三つの峰が空に向かってそびえている。最も南の峰は、少し小さい。風があり、天気のよい日は峰の頂上の木々や麓の渚の砂浜がはっきりと見える。風のよい日は2日で到達する。于山と鬱陵は昔は面積100里の一つの島であった、と言われている。”

上掲の記録で、「風があり、天気のよい日は峰の頂上の木々や麓の渚の砂浜がはっきりと見える。」とあることに気がつきましたか?このことから、この記録が独島のことを記述しているのでは無いことが分かります。独島には、木も砂浜もありませんから。2島に2日で到着する、と書かれていることにも注意して下さい。これは、この時代の鬱陵島への旅程と同じ日数です。独島へは、3日かかったはずです。

下に揚げたのは、1710年の于山島と鬱陵島の地図で、本土から2島へ線が引かれています。

地図3: 韓国の古地図(1710)からの抜粋

2島に向かって引かれた線には、“2日の航程”と書かれています。つまり、これらの2島は互いに隣り合っている事を意味しています。もしもいずれかの島が独島であるなら、さらに1日かかるからです。おや、1710年では、韓国の地図ではまだ于山島が鬱陵島の西に描かれていますね。

最後に、李朝朝鮮時代の韓国の人々が、鬱陵島から独島を眺めることが出来たのかどうか、ということを考えて見ましょう。何故それが難しいか、たくさん理由を挙げて説明する代わりに、とにかくこの“独島ビデオ”をご覧になる事をお勧めします。その中で、独島上空を飛行するヘリコプターから撮影された鬱陵島の写真が出てきます。たとえカメラがズームアウトしても,まだ水平線に鬱陵島が小さく写っています。それでは、今度は自分がヘリコプターに乗っていないと想像しながら、ビデオを見て下さい。鬱陵島を眺める代わりに、鬱陵島の429分の1の大きさの島を眺めていると想像して下さい。(自ずと答えは出るでしょう?)

于山島はほぼ確実に、鬱陵島の東岸4km以内にある小さな島、竹嶼(竹島/Jukdo)です。これらの韓国の鬱陵島の地図は、はっきりと于山島が鬱陵島の隣接島であることを示しており、鬱陵島から92kmも離れている独島ではありません。

于山島が独島では無い事を証明する韓国の地図〈リンク〉

Links to More Posts on this Subject

Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Part 1

Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Part 2

Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Part 3

Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Part 4

Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Part 4 Supplement

Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Part 5

Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Part 6

Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Part 7

Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Maps 1

Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Maps 2

Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Maps 2 Supplement

Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Maps 3

Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Maps 4

Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Maps 5

Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Maps 6

Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Maps 7

76 Responses to “Lies, Half-truths, & Dokdo Video, Part 1”

  1. Matt Says:

    Amazing stuff, Gerry. A real stake in the heart to Korean claims about Dokdo. I look forward to seeing more.

  2. randomcow Says:

    Great read, excellent post. I wasn’t going to download the video due to my incredibly slow internet connection and the fact that I’m limited by my laptop battery life, but I started reading the article and it was so good that I had to have the video.

    Looking forward to the next installment.

    RC

  3. GarlicBreath Says:

    Really great post Gerry. This pretty much sums it up. Takashima is Japanese land.

  4. Travolta Says:

    Spam VANK with this great post. Gerry is a champ.

  5. pacifist Says:

    Gerry,

    Thank you very much for your effort.
    I can’t believe how can Koreans say “(Japan is) distorting history” while they Koreans themselves are distorting history.
    Why can they blame the others while they are stealing neighbor’s island?

    In the field of psychiatry, their beliefs seems to be delusions. Delusion can’t be incorrectable even if somebody show the truth, not like misunderstanding. When a schizophrenia patient had a delusion that someone stole his purse, even if his friend found it in his locker and showed it to him, the patient can’t believe it and would have another delusive thought that his friend might have stolen and hid it in the locker.

    Korea is in just the mentally ill state like this. Or they were made to be similar to the mentally ill state by strong brainwashing. The government, school teachers, tv and radio programmes, newspapers and magazines say all the same thing to make believe the lie to be truth. And the books with different opinions were banned and can’t be published. Korea is today’s Nazis Germany or Military Japan.

    Why don’t all the normal Koreans notice it and outcry for the truth?

  6. toadface Says:

    Pacifist…..Don’t you think calling a nation “mentally ill” is a little over the top?

    http://www.geocities.com/mlovmo/temp17.html

    http://www.geocities.com/mlovmo/temp24.html

    http://www.geocities.com/mlovmo/temp23.html

    http://www.geocities.com/mlovmo/temp21.html

    http://www.geocities.com/mlovmo/temp20.html

  7. tomato Says:

    Korea’s political doctirine of today is neo-nazism, isn’t it? The name of S Korea today..”Great Korean People-State” (大韓民国)is reminiscent of the “Greater Germany” under the Nazis…or the Great Japanese Empire (大日本帝国) for that matter…

    I think the S Korean regime is hostile against Japan…it is morally corrupt, inhume and outright crazy. What a neighbor we have!

  8. pacifist Says:

    toadface,

    I just wrote, “Korea is in just the mentally ill state like this. Or they were made to be similar to the mentally ill state by strong brainwashing”.

    The anti-Japan propaganda of Korea is abnormal as one of the modern countries. This abnormality derived from the brainwashing propaganda of their government. The brainwashed people usually don’t know that they were brainwashed until all the information against their beliefs come to their ordinary life.

    So toadface, stop refer to the pro-Korean Mark’s site. It is nothing but one of the tools of Korean government’s propaganda.

  9. pacifist Says:

    By the way, toadface,

    Aren’t you the same person as “wedgie” in the Flying YangBan site?
    http://gopkorea.blogs.com/flyingyangban/2005/04/warningnbsp_thi.html
    Both of you sound as the same person.

  10. randomcow Says:

    Toadface - we have all seen Mark’s page. Posting a bunch of links without any commentary is really bad form.

    RC

  11. Gerry-Bevers Says:

    Toadface,

    I think Mark Lovmo may be a little mentally ill, given that he regularly mistranslates old documents to try to make a case that Liancourt Rocks was historically Korean territory. I also question your sanity, Toadface, given that you continue to post links to his site even after having acknowledged that some of Mark’s translations are wrong. Before you said you would ask your friend, Mark, to correct the mistakes on his pages, but it seems he still has not done it. I assume you agree with the content on the pages you linked to since you did so without comment, so let’s look at those pages.

    Link One: Dokdo Though the Ages in Maps

    The first thing that sticks out on this page is that “all” the maps on it are Japanese maps, and none of the maps say “Dokdo,” so I wonder why the page is entitled “Dokdo Through the Ages in Maps”? Shouldn’t it be entitled “Takeshima Through the Ages,” especially given the fact that their are no Korean maps or documents before 1905 that mention “Dokdo”?

    The second thing that sticks out is that Mark Lovmo not only omitted text from the 1667 document, he also mistranslated it. Here is the correct translation:

    1)隠州在北海中故云隠岐島、2)従是、南至雲州美穂関三十五里、辰巳至伯州赤碕浦四十里、未申至石州温泉津五十八里、自子至卯、無可往地、3)戍亥間行二日一夜有松島、又一日程有竹島、4)俗言磯竹島多竹魚海鹿、5)此二島無人之地、見高麗如自雲州望隠州、5)
    然則日本之乾地、以此州為限矣

    Oki, which was once called Okinoshima, is in the middle of the North Sea. From here (Oki), thirty-five ri to the south, is 美穂関 in 雲州 (a place in the eastern part of the Shimane Prefecture). Forty ri to the southeast is 赤碕浦 in 伯州 (a place in the western part of Tottori Prefecture). Fifty-eight ri to the southwest is 温泉津 in 石州. There is no land from the north to the east. Two days to the northwest is Matsushima (Dokdo/Takeshima), and one day farther is Takeshima (Ulleungdo), often called Isotakeshima, which has an abundance of bamboo, fish, and sea lions. These two islands are uninhabited. Koryo can be seen from here, similar to how Shimane can be seen from Oki Island. Therefore, Japan’s northwest boundary is from this island (Ulleungdo).

    First, notice that Oki Island is being used as a referrence point to give the locations of surrounding Japanese territory. You would not know this from the translation Mark posted since he omitted the part of the translation that I have marked above with italics. Why did he do that?

    Second, Mark Lovmo mistranslated the last sentence of the quote. He wrote, “Thus Oki Island is the northwest boundary of Japan.” However, the document does not say that. It says, “Therefore, Japan’s northwest boundary is from this island.” Notice that Mark replaced “this island” with “Oki Island.” If Mark believes that “this island” was referring to Oki Island, he should have put Oki Island in parentheses, not change the text. Why did he do that?

    Third, the phrase “this island” was referring to “Ulleungdo,” not Oki Island. We can surmise this because the sentence just before was talking about Takeshima (Ulleungdo), not Oki Island. Here was the previous sentence:

    Koryo can be seen from “here,” similar to how Shimane can be seen from Oki Island.

    In the above sentence, “here” was referring to Takeshima (Ulleungdo) since that is the only place mentioned from which you can see Koryo (Korea). Therefore, in the sentence that followed, we can surmise that “this island” was referring to Takeshima (Ulleungdo).

    Forth, Mark’s claim that the text on Japanese maps somehow links Takeshima (Ulleungdo) and Matsushima (Dokdo) is simply ridiculous. The text is simply a note saying that Korea can be seen from Takeshima (Ulleungdo). The note does not apply to Matsushima (Dokdo) since Korea cannot be seen from there.

    Fifth, Liancourt Rocks were not made a part of Japan until 1905, so the color of islands on maps before 1905 really has little meaning. And that certainly does not mean that the Japanese considered the rocks Korean territory. In regard to maps after 1905, especially Shimane Prefecture maps, any omission of Takeshima (Liancort Rocks) would obviously be a mistake since there is a clear record, which includes coordinates, that says that Shimane Prefecture incorporated Takeshima in 1905.

    Link Two: “The 1870 Secret Mission Report on Chosun (Korea)”

    The above link again links to a page in which Mark mistranslates the relevant document.

    Here is Mark’s translation:

    “How Ulleungdo and Dokdo became Korean Possessions: Dokdo is a neighbor island of Ulleungdo and there is no document on file by the shogunate concerning this (these) island(s). 2. The island of Ulleungdo was settled by the Korean people after the 1690s (During the reign of King Sukjong) but it now has become uninhabited”

    Here is my translation:

    Circumstances of Chosun’s Incorporation of Takeshima & Matsushima

    Matsushima is a neighboring island of Takeshima (Ulleungdo). Until now, there are no records of this island. Concerning Takeshima, after Kenroku (1688 ~ 1704), people were sent there from Korea to live for a while, but now it has become uninhabited again. Natural products include bamboo, reed that is thicker than bamboo, and ginseng. We have also heard that there are numerous marine products.

    First, notice that Mark translated “Matsushima” as “Dokdo,” again ignoring the fact that the text does not say “Dokdo.” If he believed it to be Dokdo, then he should have put it in parentheses to show that it was not actually said in the text..

    Second, the document said that Matsushima was a neighboring island of Takeshima, which means that it was not talking about Dokdo (Liancourt Rocks) since Dokdo is ninety-two kilometers southeast of Ulleungdo.

    Third, the document not only said that Matsushima was a neighboring island of Takeshima (Ulleungdo), but it also said that there was no record of it. This is another indication that the Matsushima being talked about in the document was not Dokdo (Liancourt Rocks) since the Japanese did have records of those islets. The 1667 Japanese document mentioned above is just one of those records. This 1724 Japanese map also shows that the Japanese knew about the Matsushima that referred to Liancourt Rocks. That means that the Matsushima mentioned in the 1870 document was a different Matsushima. In fact, in 1882, Lee Gyu-won, a Korean official sent to inspect Ulleungdo, found a marker on Ulleungdo dated 1869 that said Ulleungdo was named “Matsushima” and that it was Japanese territory.

    Also, in 1696, a Korean fisherman named An Yong-bok said that he found Japanese fishing offshore of Ulleungdo who said they lived on an island named Matsushima, which Mr. An said was the Korean island of Jasando (子山島). Even Korean historians agree that Jasando (子山島) was most likely Usando (于山島), given that the Chinese characters 子 (Ja) and 于 (U) look similar. As I have shown in the main post of this thread, Usando was most likely Jukdo, which is a small island less than four kilometers off the east coast of Ulleungdo. That means that even Korean documents in the 1690s suggest that the Japanese were calling one of Ulleungdo’s neighboring islands “Matsushima.” Also, since the Japanese said they “were living” on Matsushima, we can be pretty sure it was not Dokdo (Liancourt Rocks) since Dokdo was just barren rocks that could not support a settlement.

    Finally, the agreement from the 1690s, which Mark mentioned, recognized Korean claims on Ulleungdo, but not Dokdo (Liancourt Rocks.)

    Link Three: 19th Century Mapping Confusion and Dokdo

    Again, none of the maps shown on the page linked to are Korean maps nor do any of them use the name “Dokdo,” so why is the page entitled “19th Century Mapping Confusion and Dokdo”?

    The confusion concerning Takeshima and Matsushima continued up until 1880, when the Japanese government finally sent the warship, Amagi, to Ulleungdo to survey the island and sort out the confusion. The Japanese captain discovered that Matsushima was actually Ulleungdo, and that Takeshima was actually a small island off the northern part of Ulleungdo. Here is the relevant part of the Japanese captain’s report:

    The land (Matsushima) was the, so-called, old Ulleungdo. There is a small island to the north called Takeshima, which is little more than a rock. In one morning, this fact has cleared up a long-held suspicion.

    Notice that the Japanese captain discovered that Matsushima was Ulleungdo and that one of its neighboring islands was called Takeshima. Up until this time, the name Matsushima was being used to refer to Liancourt Rocks, so after the 1880 report, the name Matsushima was given to Ulleungdo and the name “Liancourt Rocks” was used for Liancourt Rocks. When the Japanese incorporated Liancourt Rocks in 1905, the name for the rocks was changed to Takeshima. Even today, Ulleungdo’s neighboring island is called Takeshima (竹島), except that Koreans pronounce it as Jukdo (竹島). See the map of Ulleungdo on my main post.

    Link Four: Japanese Illegal Aggression Recorded in Chosun Documents

    The linked document is talking about Ulleungdo, not Dokdo. By the way, Mark mentions that King Gojong sent Lee Gyu-won to Ulleungdo to inspect the island, but he forgot to mention what Lee Gyu-won reported.

    Mr. Lee reported that Ulleungdo had two neighboring islands, Dohang and Jukdo. The map he made of Ulleungdo, here, shows that Dohang was most likely present-day Kwaneumdo, and that Jukdo was present-day Jukdo. Mr. Lee also reported that he climbed to the highest peak on Ulleungdo but could see no other islands. Mr. Lee’s report shows that in 1882, the Korean government still did not know about Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo).

    Link Five: “Dokdo and Japanese Naval Records

    The above link shows that it was not the Koreans, but the Japanese, in the early 1900s, who first made reference to the name “Dokdo.” Here is the quote from Mark’s site:

    Koreans call the Liancourt Rocks Dokdo while the Japanese fishermen call it Lianco. It is possible to moor the vessels between the two rocks, but a small boat is usually pulled ashore. When the sea is rough and it is difficult to anchor, boats usually take refuge on Ulleungdo until the weather calms down.. Those who come from Ulleugdo to catch sea lions use a Japanese vessel that can load 60 to 70 koku (307 to 358 bushels) and build huts to stay there for about 10 days each time: The catch is plentiful: and the number of the crew sometimes exceeds 40 to 50, but they talk about the lack of fresh water…”

    The Japanese naval log said that the Koreans called Liancourt Rocks “Dokdo” while the Japanese fishermen called it “Lianco,” which was a Japanese pronunciation for Liancourt Rocks.

    Notice that the quote said that “Japanese” vessels would come from Ulleungdo to catch sealions. There was no mention of Korean vessels. In fact, in a 1907 report about Takeshima and Ulleungdo (”竹島及鬱陵島”) a Japanese named 奧原碧雲 wrote the following:

    Koreans harvest only brown seaweed and laver. They do not engage in any other kind of fishing. Among our people (on Ulleungdo), some farm and about forty (in 1905) engage in fishing….”

    Based on the above, it looks as if it were the Japanese who were doing all the fishing on Liancourt Rocks in 1905. Of course, the Japanese may have also used Korean fishermen on their boats, which may be how the Koreans found out about rocks. At any rate, the rocks were not on any Korean map or mentioned in any Korean document before 1905.

    Just being cognizant of an island or even fishing around an island does not mean the island was not terra nullius. Besides, it looks as if it was the Japanese fishing around the islets, not the Koreans.

    Mark seems to use some of the same deceptive techniques that many Korean historians use when they talk about Dokdo and historical documents. For example, instead of translating what a document actually says, Korean historians often put ”Dokdo” in where they think it should go. That is fine, but they should use parentheses when doing it to show that it is only an opinion, and that the document does not actually say that. I guess they do that because they feel a little embarrassed by the fact that they are claiming an island that does not appear on any of their old maps or documents. I know I would be too embarrassed to say anything about it.

  12. toadface Says:

    The 1870 says Songdo is a neighbour island to Ulleungdo. Now I’ve been listening to you and Pacifist try to sell this rubbish theory that there is another Songdo next to Ulleungdo for over a year now and still I see no evidence. The fact they had no records was due to the fact that the Meiji government was still in its formative years. You can’t redraw maps of the East Sea based on your definition of “nieghbour island”

    Gerry the mapping confusion maps prove that both Ulleungdo and Dokdo were simply mapped in Westerly locations. Are you trying to tell us that after almost two hundred years the Japanese stopped mapping Dokdo and doubled mapped Ulleungdo? This is wrong. Look at the maps by Yoshinaga Kashihara.

    Mark Lovmo cites maps that are consistently accurate representations of the perceptions of Japan during the Meiji Era. Gerry as others have pointed out you post ancient inaccurate Korean maps and then put your spin on them. For example the Ullengdo maps you post have all the major islands on the south side of Ulluengdo when in reality Ulleungdo’s neighbour islands are on the Northeast.

    Whoever was fishing/sealing on Dokdo in the early 1900s they were residents of Ulleungdo not Japan. If they weren’t Korean, they were trespassing or squatters as the Chosun document proves. Japanese did not come to Dokdo as a sole destination this proves that Dokdo residents were dependent on Dokdo for their existence

    As Japanese documents and maps prove the Japanese knew the position of Ulleungdo and Dokdo quite well. If there was any confusion maybe they thought there was another island in the vicinity but as Mark site shows the Japanese often cited past historical references to confirm the positions of Ulleungdo and Dokdo.
    The text by Saito Hosen is translated in a manner that makes sense unlike yours. It is not Mr Lovmo’s personal translation but one accepted by Korean and Japanese some Japanese professors.

    Gerry before you call someone crazy you should check yourself.

  13. toadface Says:

    Classic

    http://www.rjkoehler.com/?p=2719#comment-34042

  14. Gerry-Bevers Says:

    Toadface (Frogmouth),

    The 1870 Japanese document said that Matsushima (Songdo) was a neighboring island of Takeshima (Ulleungdo), so how can you say you have seen no evidence of it? By the way, just because a new government came in does not mean they threw out all the old records.

    The 1870 Japanese map below shows Takeshima (竹島), Matsushima (松도), and Liancourt Rocks all on the same map.

    1870 Japanese map

    Six years later, in 1876, the following map appeared in a Japanese textbook. You will notice that 松島 (Matsushima / Songdo) is drawn as a neighboring island of 竹島 (Takeshima / Ulleungdo). That matches up with the 1870 report.

    Closeup of 1876 Japanese Map

    Just below is the full map, even though it is too small to read:

    1876 Map (full map)

    Below is a 1878 Japanese Map that shows two islands named Matsushima (Songdo):

    1878 Japanese Map with two Matsushimas

    So, as you can see, there was another Matsushima (Songdo), which was probably what caused much of the map confusion.

    Yes, Japanese were living on Ulleungdo in the early 1900s. You can call them squatters if you want to, but that does not change the fact that they were living there. There was even a Japanese policeman stationed on the island.

    As for your other arguments, you will need to be more specific before I can address them. However, one thing is certain, whether it is Mark Lovmo or someone else, a person is being deceitful when he or she replaces the original placename in a document with the name “Dokdo.”

    Also, I think it is deceitful when someone switches his ID from “Frogmouth” to “Toadface” and to other annonymous IDs to avoid taking responsibility for his previous comments. How many IDs do you post under, Toadface?

  15. toadface Says:

    Gerry, there are tons of maps of Ulleungdo and Dokdo showing consistent positioning of Takeshima and Matsushima in the same place. It is from these maps we should make conclusions. Marks website calls
    (松도) Dokdo because it is a historical fact the Japanese did as well.
    If you feel (松도) represented some other “neighbor island” the onus is on you to prove it. Which you haven’t.
    The 1870 map shows Argonaut Island as Jukdo. It was confirmed non existent over a decade earlier. I don’t even know if that is a real map. Please don’t post second-hand scrawlings from Tanaka’s website.
    The closeup map is Ulleugdo and Dokdo. That’s all.
    You try to discredit the 1870 document by posting those maps but none of them show Songdo to be what you have defined to be a “neighbor island.”
    The 1878 map is a freakish map for sure. Here is my point Gerry. Find a mapping trend to develop a theory. If they are inaccurate and they follow a specific pattern then we can make plausible assumption from there.
    Marks cite deals with the mapping confusion in a logical manner. It shows initially the Japanese showed good positioning. It shows how the maps followed Seibold’s error and how three islands were mapped. And how rapidly the problem was corrected.

    Look at the comparison between Japanese and British Navy maps. We can see how closely the Japanese followed the European maps. That’s what got them confused to begin with. We also know by the Japanese records the 1877 Dajokan document they used past historical documents that predated Seibolds error for reference as well.
    I don’t see the 1880 survey as the end-all opinion or view of the Japanese government of the time.

    Why can’t I change my handle?? Since when don’t I take responsiblity for my posts?

  16. toadface Says:

    NIce link eh?

    Sorry……matt

  17. Gerry-Bevers Says:

    Toadface,

    Even Mark Lovmo’s Web site shows that the Japanese suspected that there were two Matsushimas (Songdo) and that if the Matsushima in question was not Ulleungdo, then “it should be Japanese property.” Below is the 1878 document in question, as translated on Mark’s site:

    Consideration regarding Songdo (Ulleungdo): “A number of brief documents regarding Jukdo (Dokdo) can be found from the early days while there is no record discussing Songdo (Ulleungdo). Today more and more people are talking about Songdo, and their opinions are divided over the island. Some say these two islands are one, with two different names and others say they are two separate ones.”

    “Songdo (Ulleungdo) was given to Chosun by the Shogunate seeking convenience (comfort) at the time instead of considering our future. Therefore if this so-called “Songdo” turns out to be Jukdo (Ulleungdo) it should belong to them (Chosun) and if not it should be Japan’s property. No one can give us a definite answer. The location of Songdo is considered critical because it is situated between Chosun and Japan. Nagasaki-Vladisvostok, Shimonseiki-Wonsan Port. Because of Songdo’s important location English and Russian warships are repeatedly seen in this vicinity. So if it is part of Japan we should be very watchful…”

    “Even in the event that it belongs to Chosun we will still have to protect it. In this situation we’re at a loss for answers if/when we are asked by other countries. This leaves the island ownerless. A number of records have stated that “Argonaut” which is a Western name for Jukdo (Ulleungdo) does not exist and that “Dagelet” referring to Songdo, is Jukdo aka Ulluengdo. So what we call Songdo, (Dokdo) is called Hornet Rocks by Westerners. But is seems that Westerners actually think of Jukdo when they refer to Songdo (Ulleungdo). Foreign maps show this “Hornet Rocks” under Japan’s jurisdiction. Yet there is no consensus concerning the two islands among the countries.”

    “”There is no sound basis for our argument, either. Therefore the land and the vicinity should be surveyed which side it belongs to and therefore whose jurisdiction it falls under. Thus we should make an inquiry to Shimane Prefecture and confirm their previous policy on this matter and initiate a survey of the region. If Chosun had already started we need to find out how they are progressing and think what we can do about it. Please I am urging this matter be dealt with as soon as possible.”

    Link

    Again, the document said that if Matsushima (Songdo) turned out to be Ulleungdo, then it would be Chosun (Korean) territory; if not, “it should be Japanese territory.” That means the Japanese only recognized Ulleungdo as Korean territory, not Liancourt Rocks. The document also urged that a survey be conducted to know for sure. That survey was conducted in 1880, and the results were that Matsushima was Ullleungdo, Takeshima (Jukdo) was a neighboring island of Ulleungdo, and Liancort Rocks were “Liancourt Rocks.” By the way, in 1882, Lee Gyu-won, a Korean official sent as an inspector to Ulleungdo, confirmed that Ulleungdo had a neighboring island called “Jukdo,” which is pronouced as “Takeshima” in Japanese.

    The Japanese never recognized Liancourt Rocks as Korean territory, which would explain why the rocks never appeared on any Korean maps or in any Korean documents before 1905.

  18. ponta Says:

    Japanese side argues that

    (1) Japan had effective control over Dokdo since Edo period.

    (2)Japan confirmed it in 1905

    (3)Japan had had effective control over Dokdo until 1945.

    In contrast, Mark’s argument, which I for one think is much better than the video above , is that,

    A

    1) Korean government had never recognized Dokdo before 1905.But

    2)Some Japanese recognized Dokdo as Korean territory before 1905. Therefore,

    3)Korea had the title to Dokdo before 1905.

    Of course, Japanese side counter-argue against (2)
    But even supposing (2) holds, as you can see, Korea’s claim is very weak.

    Mark’s another argument is that

    B

    1) 1905 Japanese inclusion of Dokdo is void. Therefore,

    2) Dokdo was no man’s land before 1945.

    3)Korean effective control since then is valid.

    For your reference, to show (1) holds, it must be proved that Korea had protested, but in fact she did not.
    Toadface’s counterargument is that

    1)’ Korea could not protest for good reason.

    (BTW Japanese argument is that Korea could have as she did on other matters. but she did not because Korea knew Dokdo was not Korean territory)

    This argument turns out to be weak:
    Provided that 1)’ hold,
    Korea had no ground to protest because Korean government had never recognized Dokdo before.

    (And against 3), it is claimed by Japan, that Japan protested in accordance with international law;therefore, it is void and null).

    Mark’s still other argument is classic.

    C

    1)Japan was evil imperialist.

    2)Japan grabbed Dokdo for this evil Imperialist’s purpose. Therefore

    3)Japan’s inclusion is void.

    Against this Japanese side argues even evil Imperialist can not invade the territory that did not belong to Korea.

    (as a side note, notice that Mark forgets mentioning that the inclusion was done in respond to Nakai,a fisherman’s request for economic purpose.)i

    As you might have noticed, in all the arguments above, what is crucial for Korean side’s argument is,

    Korean government recognized and had effective control over Dokdo before 1905

    In this respect, what Gerry has shown here and will show in another post is very important for both sides.

  19. toadface Says:

    Ponta, I agree and most historians do as well that the Japanese colonial occupation of her neighbour was an immoral act.

    Let me tell you why
    In May of 1963 the International Law Commision with the draft submitted by the Special Rapporteur Waldock. In his draft he cited the coerced 1905 Japan-Korea Protectorate Treaty as one of four textbook instances of “a coerced treaty” in fact Hitlers coercion of the President of Czechoslovakia was one of the others.

    Ponta, if I have to go with deciding someone’s definition of a coerced treaty, I think I’ll go with the Harvard School of Law rather than yours. I hope you understand.

    Many Japanese don’t see any connection to Japanese expansionism and Dokdo but if you study the political events at the time of Dokdo’s annexation you can see Dokdo’s annexation was for military purposes first.
    1. The Anglo-Japanese treaty of 1902 was expanded in 1905 and Great Brtiain confirmed Japan’s interests in controlling Korea.
    2. The Portsmouth Treaty signed in 1905 also confirmed Russia interests in Korea and promised not to interfere in the region.
    3. The Taft-Katsura agreement confirmed America’s support for Japan’s interests in Korea in exchange for America’s unchallenged control of Hawaii and the Philippines.
    4. The Japan Korea Protectorate Treaty this treaty dismantled the Foreign Affairs office of Korea.
    In 1905 Japan signed four treaties all with the purpose of stripping Korea of her sovereignty. It’s shameful Japanese Takeshima websites never mention the historical-military events surrounding the Shimane Prefecture Inclusion. I find it laughable that some posters say Korea had the means to dispute Japanese acts after all these treaties were signed. How could Korea protest……..better yet to whom?

    The Japanese Foreign Ministry has committed a shameful act by trying to candy-coat the Shimane Prefecture Inclusion into a legitimate land acquisition when historical documents and Japanese Naval records of the time prove otherwise.

    Japan had hundreds of years to lay claim to Dokdo. We should ask why Japan suddenly decided to include this territory covertly/coincidently following the Battle of Tsushima. We should also ask why Japan waited over a year before they told the Koreans they had annexed Dokdo. Maybe Mark should have a page detailing the political events in Korea surrounding the Shimane Prefecture. The Japanese seem to have forgotten.

    The rest of the free world hasn’t and won’t.

  20. tomato Says:

    I don’t think S Korea is a member of the free world…you guys make holding certain political ideas a crime…you punish “pro-Japanese” ideas, confiscate property from the HEIRS of “pro-Japananese” (now this is really barbaric to the eyes of anyone from the trully free world)…your goverment still basically prohibits importation of Japanese goods and culture (such censorship is typical of authoritarian regimes that do not want its citizens to know too much)…you guys even support your comrade regime in the north that mass produces counterfeit money and narcotics, abuse its citizens, kidnap and kill foreign citizens, blow up airplanes…all these terrorist activities…it’s gonna be a long way until you enter the free world.

  21. ponta Says:

    Toadface

    Yes, Japan was an expansionist.
    When Korea became independent,
    Japan left the all Japanese property in Korea.(That is all Germany did to Poland).
    Japan apologized to Korea for what Japan did to Korea.
    Japan compensated.
    Anyway,
    The point is
    You can not invade Korea by announcing the inclusion of Dokdo, over which Japan had effective control since Edo period, of which Korean government had no cognizant . In contrast Korea did invade Japan by grabbing Japanese territory, Dokdo, against Japan’s protest, against USA’s will.

    When the Treaty of Peace with Japan was being drafted, the Republic of Korea asserted its claims to Dokto 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. The Republic of Korea has been confidentially informed of the United States position regarding the islands but our position has not been made public. Though the United States considers that the islands are Japanese territory, we have declined to interfere in the dispute. 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.link

    You emphasize militaristic purpose of the inclusion of Dokdo.I do not deny it. In the hindsight, it was partly used for military purpose. However, as your previous comment showed, The 1905 announcement was initiated by Nakai, a fisherman for economic purpose.

    Management of the Dokdo Fishermen in the vicinity of Ulleungdo knew that sea lions abounded on Dokdo. As I thought the island was Korean territory attached to Ulleungdo , I went to the capital trying to submit a request to the Resident-General. But as suggested by Fishery Bureau Director Maki Bokushkin, I came to question Korea’s ownership of Takeshima. And at the end of my investigation I convinced myself that this island was ownerless through the conclusion of the then Hydrographic Director Admiral Kimotsuki. Accordingly I submitted an application through the Home Ministry, Foreign Ministry and Agriculture-Commerce Ministry for incorporation of this island into Japanese territory and for its lease to me. The Home Ministry had an opinion that the gains would be extremely small while the situation would become grave if the acquisition of a barren islet suspected of being Korean territory at this point of time would amplify the suspicions of various countries that Japan has an ambition to annex Korea. Thus my petition was rejected…..
    Thinking I cannot turn back I rushed to the Foreign Affairs Office to discuss the matter with the then Political Affairs Bureau Director Yamaza Enjiro. He said the incorporation was urgent particularly under the present situation, and it is absolutely necessary and advisable to construct observation posts and install wireless or submarine cable and keep watch on the hostile warships. Particularly in terms of diplomacy he told me not to worry about the Home Ministry view. He asked me in high spirits to urge the Home Ministry to refer his application speedily to the Foreign Ministry: In this way Takeshima came under our country’s dominion.Toadface at occidentalism

    Toadface wrote

    I find it laughable that some posters say Korea had the means to dispute Japanese acts after all these treaties were signed. How could Korea protest……..better yet to whom?

    To a Japanese minister as when then the minister of Korea protested against the ally of England-Japan in 1905, or as when Korean King protested against 1905 treaty, resulting in a revision in the wording of the treaty. Or
    To 9 heads of the foreign states as when Korean King sent a letter, protesting 1905 treaty.
    But he did not protest with regards to Dokdo, because he remembered that he had a report to the effect Dokdo was not Korean territory.
    Suppose ,for the sake of argument, he protested effectively, then that day become an critical date,after which “all matters arising after that date cannot be taken into account in deciding title to territory”,
    What is Korean ground for the claiming the title to Dokdo.
    Korea has no record of Dokdo before 1905.
    Japan has.

    After all Korea had no ground for protesting because Korea had no effective control before 1905;Korean geovernment did not recoginize Dokdo before 1905

    Regarding the legality of the treay, opinions are divided among scholars, but I repeat,You can not invade Korea by announcing the inclusion of the territory which Korea had had no effective control before.

    Toadface,
    I regret Japan was an expansionist. You can paint Japan as evil as possible if you like.
    You might win the heart of Korean people by emphasizing how evil Japan had been;it seems it’s part of Korean culture to hold the hatred, and some Korean people seem to think mistakenly that endless retaliations are justified, that endless hatred pays.(when in fact the hatred is backlashing with,or without Korea realizing iit)
    Butt there is something you can not change by the hatred. You can not change the fact that Korea had no effective control over Dokdo but Japan had.
    I am looking forward to seeing Gerry de-mystifying one of Korea mythology.
    Mark might love Korea, but in the wrong way. i think Gerry loves Korea, wishing Korea grow up, Korea become mature.

  22. Gerry-Bevers Says:

    Toadface,

    Korea did not protest Japan’s incorporation of Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo/Takeshima) because she knew the rocks never belonged to Korea. When the Japanese informed the head of Uldo County (Ulleungdo County) that they had incorporated Liancourt Rocks into Japanese territory, he did not protest to the Japanese. In fact, he was not even sure where the rocks were, which is strange considering that Koreans claim that the islets were under his administration. By that time, Koreans may have known about the rocks, but they had never claimed them, mapped them, or even talked about them in their old documents.

    Arguing whether Japan incorporated Liancourt Rocks for military or economic reasons does not change the fact that Japan claimed the islets before Korea or anyone else did.

    Korea’s historical claim on Dokdo/Takeshima is a big, fat lie. And what makes it worse is that Korean historians, who should know better, are either participating in the lie or are keeping silent about it. That is what I call shameful.

  23. randomcow Says:

    haha - imagine what would happen if one of those poor historians tried to speak out. By sundown he would be hanging from a tree by a rope.

    Being an historian in Korea must be one of the most stressful jobs on earth. I don’t know how they sleep at night.

    RC

  24. pacifist Says:

    BTW, I found the following document concerning Ulleungdo. This is not related to the topic directly, but it explains how was the relationship between Japanese and Koreans in Ulleungdo in the late 19th century.

    In September 1883, Japanese government dispatched the Minstry of the Internal officers and police officers to let remaining Japanese return to Japan. There were about 250 Japanese in Ulleungdo, engaging in forestry and their relationship with Koreans were good.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    「朝鮮国蔚陵島出張檜垣内務少書記官復命ノ件」:
    十月七日蔚陵島着、幼学裴忠隠と応接筆記

    書記官 「小官がこの度渡航して来たのは他の義に非ず、当島に在留する我が国の人民を残らず召連れ還るべき我政府の命令を奉じ、汽船に搭じて本日着いた。依って本船へ我が国人民を乗り込ませようと思う。了知されよ。」
    Japanese secretary: “The reason I came here is no other than the government order that says we should bring all the Japanese remaining in this island back to Japan. So I stepped on the stemship and arrived today. So I would like to let our people ride on this ship. Please understand this”.

    幼学 「仰せのように貴国人民を総て帰国させるのは誠に賀すべきことであるが、交情において実に忍びないところがある。なぜならば、本島へ渡航している我が国人民は食に乏しく、時々貴国の人に恩恵を蒙っていることが広大である。この恩は忘るべからず。願わくば、伐採した木材は全て持ち帰られることを希望する。尤も、今から四十日間の猶予を貴国の人民に給わるなら、積船の渡来を待って都合よく帰国することが出来るので、貴官の仁恕を以て酌量あらんことを希望する。」
    Yogaku (Korean): “To let your people return back to your country as you’ve said is to be celebrated, but emotionally I can hardly bear it. Because our people who came here lack in foods, they were enjoying great favours from Japanese people. We will never forget their kindness. I hope they will bring all the woods they cut off back to Japan with them. I suppose if you give them 40-day extension, they will wait for the cargo ship and will be able to bring them back, so please take this into consideration”.

    書記官 「既に伐採した木材を持ち帰らせるのは小官の権限ではない。小官はわが国の人民をまとめて帰国させるのに止まれば、帰朝の上でその厚意を我が政府に稟申するだろう。」
    Japanese secretary: “I have no authority to make them bring the woods with them. The only thing I have to do is to let all the Japanese return to Japan, after that I will tell your kind offer to our government”.

    幼学 「貴意は了解した。しかし、反復して言うのは恐縮の至りであるが、なお愚衷のあるところよく察せられたい。先に述べたように、貴国人民に数千本の木材を与えることを望むのは、他のことではない。我が国の者数百名は例年、氷解を待って本島に渡航し山海の業を営み、秋になって本国に廻航する習いで、その在島間に我愚民らは糧食を貴国人民の供給に仰ぎ、これに報いることがないのは、実に遺憾の至りに堪えない。願わくばまげて許容あらんことを。」
    Yogaku (Korean): “I see your will. I’m sorry to repeat the same thing again but please understand that we are sorry. As I’ve mentioned, we want to give thousands of woods to your people but we have no other intentions. Several hundreds of our people used to come to this island every year after ice melt, engage in fishery and forestry, and go back to their home in autumn. I deeply regret that these people were given foods by Japanese people but they can’t repay for them. So please grant my wish”.

    書記官 「貴君の厚情は深く了知する。しかし両国政府の命令ではないので、こちらから承諾することは出来ない。貴下がまたこれを許すべき理もないだろう。しかし、我が政府は更に命令を下してこのような違反者がないように注意する。」
    Japanese secretary: “I deeply thank for your kind offer. But as far as it is not an order by any of the both governments, I can’t approve it. And you too can’t permit such things. Our government will order to take care lest these people should not violate a law”.

     話し終わって、幼学はなおも通訳官の浅山顕蔵に向って、「情状を斟酌あって人民の困窮を救助されたい」と懇々と陳述したが、それは出来ないことを答えさせた。
    Even after the conversation, Yogaku asked the interpreter, Kenzo Asayama, saying, “Please make allowances for cicumstances and help our people in poverty” but I let him answer that we can’t do it.

     十月十四日、在留の日本人民を全て船に乗せた後に、病気をしていた島長全錫奎が出て来て応接した。
    On 14th October, after we let all the Japanese people ride on the ship, the chief of the island 全錫奎, who had been ill, came out and gave us a reception.

    書記官 「・・・我が邦民の本島にいた者は、全て連れて帰ろうとしている。もはや遠隔の地に残っている者もいないだろうか。」
    Japanese secretary: “We are going to bring all the Japanese staying in this island back to Japan. I wonder if there is nobody left in the remote places”.

    島長 「もはや残留する者はいない。実に貴国人民には容易ならない厚誼を忝うする。今度皆帰国されるのは情において深く忍びないことである。」
    Chief of the island: “No more people left. I deeply thank your people for their great help. In emotion, I can’t bear to see all of them are going back”.

    書記官 「我が邦人を全て帰国させるについては、もはや一人も残る者がないことは貴下の証言するところである。その書契を与えられることを要請する。」
    Japanese secretary: “As you testify, there is no Japanese people left. I request you to give us the document”.

    島長 「謹承する。(書契を出す。なおまた一書を出して)我が国の者が、特別に貴国の人から助けられたことがある。別に書契を出す。足下よろしく処弁されることを望む。」
    Chief of the island: “I received your request. (He produced a document and then he produced one more document.) Our people were rescued by Japanese people in a special occasion. Here is another document. I would like you to deal prudently with this matter”.

     その書には、
    「・・・今年夏初、本邦諸民三十余名、乗船入来也。風勢不利、波涛洶湧、船隻為風波所駆人命、幾至没死之危境、而幸頼貴国人民慣水者之冒死出救、本邦人民三十余名、尽得生活■、其恩恵山高海深・・・」
    It said, “In early summer this year, more than 30 of our country’s people came to this place by ship. Wind was high and waves are raging, and the ship wrecked. But when they were on the edge of death sinking in the water, Japanese people who were good at swimming went to rescue them at the risk of their lives. Because of this, all of more than 30 people were saved from death. The favor of these Japanese is high as montains and deep as sea”.

    島長 「今度貴国人民が帰るなら、従来から貴国人民によって生計の恩恵を蒙っている者は飢渇を免れない。伏して願わくば、貴下には憐憫を垂れてもらいたい。」
    Chief of the island: “If these Japanese people will go back, our people who have enjoyed favors from Japanese people won’t be able to bear hunger and thirsty. I would like to ask your favor, please feel pity”.

    書記官 「そのようなことなら捨て置くところではない。これは日韓両国の友誼である。もし我が国の帰航の為に飢餓となる場合に至るなら救助の請求に応じたい。」
    Japanese secretary: “We can’t remain indifferent to hear that. This is a friendship between Japan and Korea. If they will face famine because of our people’s return, we would like to respond to your request of help”.

    島長 「救助するとの高諭に謝するところを知らず。願わくば、米二十五包(白米四斗二升)を救助されんことを。」
    Chief of the island: “I don’t know the proper words of thanks to hear that you will help us. We would be pleased if you could give us 25 packs of rice (75-6 litter)”.

     これにて米を恵恤し、別れを告げて去る。
    So we gave them rice and said goodbye and left.
    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    There was amicable atmosphere, at least it seems that there was no hostility or hatred in those days. Reversely, this reminds us how Korean government today make their people hate Japan with the strong propaganda.

  25. toadface Says:

    Here’s a real record of the Chosun government position at the time.

    http://www.geocities.com/mlovmo/temp21.html

    This is the first of two documents I’ve seen in the Chosun documents regarding Japanese logging.

    Pacifist. I love your choice of words. “to let remaining Japanese return to Japan. The contents of that report I’ve heard are not accurate as the Japanese ministers were under pressure to present a positive impression of the region for their superiors.

    The correct term I believe was forcible evacuation. These Japanese were trespassing and after these squatters were kicked out they were let go free of being charged. If things were so great why did they feel the need to remove these illegals?

    In contrast in 1837 trespassers were executed for being in the Ulluengdo region. We can see how illegal Japanese aggression in the region increased during this era

  26. ponta Says:

    Toadface,
    When was the document written?
    Lee Kyuwon inspected Ullungdo in 1882, am I right?
    I guess Pacifist document is written in 1883link
    And Japanese were evacuated by Japanese officers in response to Korean complaint, as described in your document, to the effect that some Japanese had been illegally logging the forest.
    And Pacifist’s document was about the conversation between an Korean islander and a Japanese officer when evacuating.

    Besides, according to the link, Japan and Korea agreed that Korea regulate illegal Japanese activity on the island.
    Is it Japanese aggression that Japan agreed Korea regulate illegal Japanese?

    I am afraid that Mark might have omitted an important aspect again.

  27. pacifist Says:

    Ponta, toadface,

    Yes, that was the report when Japanese people were evacuated from the island in 1883. There were 255 Japanese then while Koreans were only about 60 including the chief of the island. It said that many Koreans saw off the Japanese in tears as if they were relatives or intimate friends. I wanted all of you to know that there was a warm friendship between Koreans and Japanese in those days.

  28. ponta Says:

    Pacifist.
    Thanks.
    I guess it was wrong of me to expect Toadface to answer.He has never answered where Prangdo, imaginary island which Korean government asked USA to give Korea,was, and he has never translated the Korean “protest”, which was rather in fact internal document of the report. irrespective of the fact I asked many times.
    Anyway.it is true that some Japanese were illegally logging the forest. And,
    Mark’s
    site make it clear that the document was made before Lee Kyuwon inspected.

    May I suggest that Lee Kyuwon be sent as an inspector as soon as possible and have him make a thorough investigation to help deal with this matter.”

    And Lee Kyuwon inspected in 1882 and protested to Japanese authorities.
    link

    In 1883 there was an agreement between Japan and Korean concerning the treatment of Japanese criminals. For instance,

    article 3 Korean officials are free to send Japanese criminals either by land or by sea…..

    And in respond to the korean protest, Japanese were evacuated in 1883 by Japanese officials.
    And Pacifist’s document show rather friendly relation between Japanese and Korean islanders.

    However, Mark describes this situations as

    In the 1880s Japanese aggression in the region affected both Ulleungdo and Dokdo

    Is illegal Koreans activities now in Tokyo the agression of korea as a state?
    Is the agreement that Japan regulate illegal Koreans in Tokyo Korean aggression?
    Is evacuating illegal Koreans from Tokyo the aggression if Korea?
    —–I don’t think so.
    I think Mark is inappropriate at least with regard to interpretation of this document. He put it out of context. Besides, the document does not mention dokdo at all.

    But I am not sure so correct me if I am wrong.

  29. pacifist Says:

    Thank you Ponta,

    I’m with you, the Mark’s site is full of lies, including this word “aggreression”. There were many Japanese as migrant workers but they were not soldiers, they didn’t have malicious will or intention to invade Korea.

    I think they were living in a peaceful unity with Koreans, or should I say they were living in a borderless world - it seems as a Utopia from today’s viewpoint while today Koreans see us Japanese with a look of hostility - as a result of strong propaganda of Korean government.

  30. toadface Says:

    Pacifist, the Japanese who were illegally living on Ulleungdo were just trying to make a living. However, all over Asia during this time the Japanese government was deliberately encouraging a policy of moving in Japanese nationals into neighbouring countries and overwhelming the native residents. Ulleungdo was no exception.

    I’ve never said these people were evil. But I believe that the policies of the Japanese government at the time had evil intentions. I think the Japanese Meiji Government initially was not hostile toward Korea and her neighbours. I think early on they had little interest in the region. But through the 1837 analogy we can see how Japanese policy changed.

    You wrongly seem to think that Japanese illegal occupants and lumber was discontinued in 1883 but this is a fallacy,
    In August of 1896 more Japanese were expelled from Ulleungdo after the Koreans signed a lumbering agreeement with Russia.
    In 1898 the administer of Ulleungdo went to Matsue in Japan to start a lawsuit against illegal lumbering by Japanese on Ulleungdo.

    In this time era expansionist Japan encroached in all directions.

    In they North in 1869 they displaced the native residents of Hokkaido in the Kuriles_Sakhalin exchange Pact with the Russians. The Japanese then “emigrants” then entered the region en masse and forced out the aborigines.

    In the South in May of 1874 the Japanese sent over three thousand naval and army soldiers to Taiwan it was ceded by 1895. In 1876 the Japanese took Bonin Islands and all residents became Japanese citizens by 1882. in 1914 they colonized Micronesia

    In the East in July 1871 Japan renamed Weeks Island “Minami torishima” and made it another Japanese territory by a Tokyo prefecture public notice marking the Eastern boundary of Japan.

    In the West during the Russo-Japanese War Japan took Dokdo. In the wake of this war Japan colonized Kuantungshu the southern part of the Liaotung Peninsula, In 1910 Japan annexed Korea.

    In these time the Japanese Foreign Ministry hired foreign lawyers for the purposes of manipulating international law to acquire territory. For example two American Lawers (CW Laegendre and Gustave Emile Boassoade) were employed for this reason. The Japanese even consulted lawyers to see if the comments of Li Hung Chang “Taiwan is outside enlightenment” could be interpreted as a basis for taking over Taiwan as “terra nullius”

    Japans illegal claim to Dokdo is a part of Japanese Expansionism and falls under the classification of “lands taken by violence and greed”. The acquisition of Dokdo was for military purposes and was not part of a natural, peaceful process.

  31. ponta Says:

    Toadface

    Japan was expansionist. I don’t think the readers need a proof for it.
    What the readers need to know is whether Dokdo belonged to Korea when Japan was expanding. You have proved none.
    Japan can not expand your territory by announcing the inclusion of what belonged to Japan.
    Besides,

    In August of 1896 more Japanese were expelled from Ulleungdo after the Koreans signed a lumbering agreeement with Russia.In 1898 the administer of Ulleungdo went to Matsue in Japan to start a lawsuit against illegal lumbering by Japanese on Ulleungdo

    So after all,illegal Japanese were expelled.
    As of 2005, there were 43,151 Korean illegal residents in Japan.link
    (BTW Korea ranks the top of the list.)They would be expelled based on the law.
    It does not follow Korea is expansionist.
    It does not follow Korea’s purpose is to annex Japan.

    Besides, the situation was relatively peaceful according to Pacifist’s document.
    In addition, when we talk about “peaceful” acquisition in terms of international law, it means it means without contest, without protest.
    Moreover, you are talking about the situation of Ulleungdo, but we are talking about Dokdo.

    Japans illegal claim to Dokdo is a part of Japanese Expansionism and falls under the classification of “lands taken by violence and greed”. The acquisition of Dokdo was for military purposes and was not part of a natural, peaceful process.

    And the lands taken by violence and greed were returned to Korea:SF treaty and other USA document make it clear that territories which she has taken by violence and greed” in no way applies to Takeshima, which is an integral part of Japan’s sovereign territory.


    It is Korea’s turn to return Dokdo, which she has taken by violence and greed.

  32. Gerry-Bevers Says:

    Toadface,

    There was no violence associated with the Japanese incorporation of Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo/Takeshima). In fact, the Koreans did not even know they had done it until a year later. And when the Koreans did find out about it, they did not protest it.

    Even the United States recognized that the islets legally belonged to Japan, as was stated in the August 9, 1951 Dean Rusk letter. Also, in the 1952 treaty, the islets were not included among the land and islands that Japan was supposed to surrender. By the way, does Mark Lovmo’s site link to the Dean Rusk letter?

    No, it was the Koreans in the 1950s who were motivated by greed and used violence to illegally claim and occupy Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo/Takeshima). The fact that Korea refuses to take the issue to the International Court of Justice is strong testament to the claim that even Korea knows her occupation was illegal.

  33. empraptor Says:

    Yeah, Toadface. Get it right. If some ultra-nationalist Korean wanted to protest about something in 1906, they’d have started by whining about Japanese armies inside Korea.

  34. pacifist Says:

    toadface,

    You always distort the fact and tends to connect every single issue of war crimes to Takeshima/Dokdo, as if you were completely brainwashed by Korean government’s strong propaganda. But it is not true, the incorporation of Takeshima/Dokdo was not related to the war with Russia, although it was used for the war as well as other Japanese islands.

    The incorporation of Takeshima/Dokdo into Shimane prefecture was done peacefully. Nobody claimed it and nobody was injured or killed.
    But reversely, Korea robbed Takeshima/Dokdo brutally and illegally and even killed some Japanese fishermen. toadface, don’t you think that they are expansionists?

  35. ponta Says:

    empraptor

    If some ultra-nationalist Korean wanted to protest about something in 1906, they’d have started by whining about Japanese armies inside Korea.

    Korean Ultra-nationalists at the time was more brave than you think.
    They were resiting to death against Japan;though,the largest political pary,Iljinhoe,was supporting Japan.

    What makes you think that they would have known the existence of Dokdo?.There is no evidence that they knew the existence of Dokdo.
    The myth of Dokdo began after WWâ…¡.

  36. toadface Says:

    Ponta, I nor the Korean have to prove anything to you. The Koreans have the island remember?

    What you have to prove is that the Shimane Prefecture Inclusion (Japans only documented claim) was a legitimate land acquisition. The reason that Japan can’t muster international support on her claim is that the general public outside Japan (unlike you) understands all to well Japanese expansionism during this time.

    I say there is enough evidence Japan’s annexing was an illegal land grab like most of the territories she “acquired” at this time. Part of the big Japanese lie is the feeble attempt by the Foreign Ministry to try to separate Japanese expansionism militarism from the annexing of Dokdo.

    The Japanese government craftily stole Dokdo Island without making an official external announcement. This is totally opposite to the procedure the Japanese own government used in past land claims when the Japanese took the Bonin Islands Why?

    The fact Japan says an external announcement is not a requisite for prior occupation is tantamount to admitting the Shimane Prefecture Inclusion of February 22 1905 was not an external announcement by international law.

    The Japanese government claims that no external announcements needs to made when acquiring territory but this is highly debatable.

    The 1885 Berlin Convention established regulations to be followed upon when colonial powers were to take over territories in Africa and these precedents were used in land acquisitions across the globe. Article 34 requires an open and public announcement to other powers.

    The Japanese claim no external announcements is needed to acquire lands and then cite:
    1. The Palmas Islands Case.
    2. The Clipperton Islands Case.

    In the Palmas Islands Case judge Huber did not rule external announcement was not necessary. He ruled in this case external announcement did not apply to this region.

    In the Clipperton Islands case the judge ruled that notification was not necessary because France occupied the territory prior to the 1885 Act of Berlin thus was not applicable.

    In short, the Japanese claim that external notification is not necessary is simply not true just because they say so. It is an oversimplification based on irrelevant precedents.

    Gerry, I’ve shown you links to prove that Korea believed Dokdo was part of Ulleungdo county when Japan announced it to them. Korea’s internal disagreement is as far as they could have done at the time considering the Foreign Ministry was dismantled as a result of the Coerced Japan-Korea Protectorate Treaty. If you can find a law that states what degree an occupied country must dispute an illegal land claim let me know. At the time the Japanese stole Dokdo Korea had bigger problems that a couple of rocks 92 clicks from Ulleungdo.

    In addition, I’m growing sick and tires of references toward US Forces and the allies. There are only a couple of useful facts from these documents that matter.
    1. Japan lost (the illegal) effective control of Dokdo.
    2. No further directives were issued on the status of Dokdo.
    The allies (the same “allies” that screwed Korea decades earlier) are not god. It’s clear at the time after the war America and the allies were carving up Asia like a turkey while postering for the cold war.

    Korea was right to take back what was hers before America burned again. America still maintains a neutral stance on the Dokdo issue to this day, so give it up.

  37. pacifist Says:

    toadface,

    You forgot the important point - Korea has not owned Dokdo in the past. Korea even never knew about the rock islets, until a Japanese hired Korean fishermen in early 20th century. So Korea doesn’t have a right to claim Dokdo at all.

    As long as it hasn’t owned by Korea and Japan declared to incorporate it into Shimane prefecture in 1905, Korea doesn’t have a slightest right to claim Dokdo.

    If you have objective opinions, you should show why Korea has a right to claim, before you murmur something.
    Did Korea know the rock islets?
    Are there old maps which depicted the unique shape of the two rocks? Did the Korean old document clearly say the concrete location of the two rocks, such as “two days water route from Ulleungdo to east” ETC?
    If you can’t you should shut your toadmouth!

  38. Gerry-Bevers Says:

    Toadface,

    The 1952 San Franciso Treaty recognized Japanese sovereignty over Liancourt Rocks (Takeshima). The US and her allies stripped Japan of Korea, Formosa, the Kurile Islands, and part of Sakhalin, but they did not strip her of Liancourt Rocks because they believed them to be Japanese territory, as was told to the Koreans in the Dean Rusk letter. That means that the US and her allies did not consider Japan’s incorporation of Liancourt Rocks in 1905 to be aggressive or illegal.

    In 1906, the Korean head of Uldo (Ulleungdo) County wrote to his superiors telling them that the Japanese had incorporated “Dokdo,” which he said was part of his “county,” but if that were true, why didn’t he know the location of “Dokdo”? Afterall, he was the county head, wasn’t he?

    In his letter, the Uldo County head said that “Dokdo” was about 100 ri east of Ulleungdo, but 100 ri was only about forty kilometers, which was not even half the distance to “Dokdo.” I think what happened was that the county head had heard of “Dokdo” for the first time from the Japanese officials who were visiting him and probably felt that forty kilometers should have put the islets in Korean territorial waters, which is why he wrote to his superiors asking them for their advice. I think the county head got the “100 ri” from the Japanese officials, but did not realize that the Japanese officials were using ri to represent kilometers. The fact that his superiors wrote back asking him to get more information on the islets shows that they did not even know much about “Dokdo.” I think that after an investigation, the Koreans realized that they had no claim on the islets, which is why they did not protest to Japan.

    Toadface, in the 1950s, Koreans illegally and violently occupied Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo/Takeshima), which is why Korea does not take the issue to the International Court of Justice. The Koreans know they would lose.

  39. ponta Says:

    Toadface
    Thanks

    Ponta, I nor the Korean have to prove anything to you. The Koreans have the island remember?

    Oh, sure, you don’t have to prove anything to me. But you have to prove to the world outside Korea that the present Korean occupation is legal.

    What you have to prove is that the Shimane Prefecture Inclusion (Japans only documented claim) was a legitimate land acquisition

    To be a legitimate acquisition, it needs to be (1)peaceful and (2)continuous display of effective control.
    (1) Korea did not protest.
    (2) Chronological Table of Takeshima

    the general public outside Japan (unlike you) understands all to well Japanese expansionism during this time.

    I understand all too well Japanese expansionism around this time.
    And USA also understood it too well. USA was determined to see it that the territory which was taken by force and greed shall be returned ,
    And even the USA. the most sympathizer of Korea, judged that Dokdo belonged to Japan, because Korea’s claim that Prangdo, nonexistent island, and Tsushima,and Dokdo, Japanese territory, be given to Korea was most unreasonable by far.
    USA even suggested to send the issue to ICJ,so that Korea would be convinced itself. but nah, Korea rejected, thinking ““victory is reserved for a Korean team”, “only Koreans will be allowed to win, and they were not allowed to play .”anymore.

    The Japanese government claims that no external announcements needs to made when acquiring territory but this is highly debatable

    Now Japan showed, citing the precedence, that no external announcement is necessary. It is Korea’s turn that external announcement is necessary. But you have shown none.
    In passing, the inclusion was not done in secret. It was announced by newspaper, it was announced to Korea, that is why local government reported it to the central government.

    If you can find a law that states what degree an occupied country must dispute an illegal land claim let me know. At the time the Japanese stole Dokdo Korea had bigger problems that a couple of rocks 92 clicks from Ulleungdo.

    It is you that should find a law that states what degree an occupied country must dispute an illegal land. By the way, Korea was not occupied by Japan at the time. And modern state always has big issues, and if territorial issues is not a big issue for a state, what is?
    The most important things is that you have not shown Dokdo belonged to Korea at the timeAll you have done is, in essence, Japan has been evil, so Japan’s claim is evil, so Japan’s claim is not valid.(this is consistent Korean formula on other issues too).

    1. Japan lost (the illegal) effective control of Dokdo.
    2. No further directives were issued on the status of Dokdo

    Korean claim is this: once you lose sight of your bag, it is up for grab.
    I am not sure if that is true in Korea, but in Japan and in civilized countries, even if you lost your bag, somebody should take it to the police, if the authority judged it it was yours, it would be returned to you.

    Toadface I appreciate your effort.

  40. sqz Says:

    toadface wrote:

    The 1885 Berlin Convention established regulations to be followed upon when colonial powers were to take over territories in Africa and these precedents were used in land acquisitions across the globe. Article 34 requires an open and public announcement to other powers.

    確かにベルリン議定書で領有の通知が義務づけられたが、それはアフリカ地域のみであり、
    その後のサンジェルマン条約では、通告の義務は除外している。
    A notice of possession was surely obliged to with Berlin protocol.
    But it was only an African area.
    And it was deleted in a the later Saint-Germain treaty.
    一度義務であったものが、義務では無くする為に削除されたのである。
    There was at once.
    And it was deleted to invalidate duty.
    よって、条約などの文書化されたものが無い限り、領有の通知に義務など無い。
    Therefore, there is not duty for a notice of possession because there is not a thing done documentations such as treaties of.

  41. toadface Says:

    The Koreans acquired Dokdo because it was terra nullius. Japan was obligated to release the islands under the conditions of surrender. So the island was ownerless as Japan had ceased exercising (illiegal) effective control over Dokdo.
    Korea acquired the islands as an new independent country and is not subject to the whishes of the Allied forces. Unfortunately Japan was.
    For the last time.
    America issued no further decisions regarding Dokdo with respect to Japan so Korea took back what was hers.
    What is American policy on Dokdo these days?

    Sqz: The Berlin Act was often cited as the proper procedure for acquiring land beyond the African continent. Many lega; scholars of the time felt the Berlin Act had greater impact than just for Africa and considered it a general international guideline. For example:
    M.F Lindley wrote in “The Acquisition of and Government of Backward Territory in International Law in 1926….There were no colonial states which took exception to the application of the new rule of occupation and it seems to be justified to say that all recent acquisition of territory obeys this rule whether it is the African coast or not.
    Charles de Vissher wrote in “Theory and Reality in Public International Law” Princeton Press “The Berlin Act was devised to set up a legal rule relating to occupation of ownerless territory while guaranteeing benefit of peace, protection of indigenous prople and freedom of trade. This is clearly a collective and normative act establishing a highly internationalized legal regime.
    Legal scholar Charles G Fenwick expresses his view on notification as follows: The provisions of the Berlin Convention showed the desirability of formulating a general rule of international law upon the subject. In consequence the question was taken up by the Institute of International Law which offered in 1888 a Draft of International Declaration Regarding Occupation of Territories..

    There are more legal scholars who share the same views but I don’t have the time to post them all.

    In addition the treaty of Saint Germain was signed in 1919 long before the annexing of Dokdo. So you see, just because the Japanese Ministry says notification is not necessary it doesn’t mean it is so. the Japanese don’t take into consideration the differences in past precedents. As you see many legal experts from the past disagree with Japan’s position.

  42. sqz Says:

    toadface

    では、韓国は領有の告知を、世界のすべての国にしましたか?
    Then, did Korea make a notice of possession of Korean territories for all world countries?
    してませんね。
    No, it did not.
    よって、竹島どころか朝鮮半島も鬱陵島も、すべての韓国の領土が無効になりますよ。(笑
    Therefore, Takeshima, The Korean Peninsura, Ulleungdo, all Korean territories is invalid.

    そうそう、SF講和条約があると言っても、それでは不足ですよ。
    By the way, it is lack by an SF peace treaty.
    調印していない国々が沢山ありますから。
    Because there is many countries where it did not sign.
    韓国は条約に調印してませんね。
    Korea did not sign a treaty.
    それから、韓国大統領が宣言したという理由も無駄です。
    And, The reason that President of Korea declared it is useless, too.
    マスコミが報道しなければ、誰も知りえませんから。
    Because if mass communication did not report it, anybody can not know it.

    世界のすべての国の政府に対し、韓国政府が告知文書を送付しなければ駄目ですよ。
    The Korea government must send a notice document for the government of all world countries.

  43. ponta Says:

    Toadface.
    Big thanks.

    The Koreans acquired Dokdo because it was terra nullius……Korea acquired the islands as an new independent country and is not subject to the whishes of the Allied forces.

    Korean government and MaK have been claiming that dokdo has belonged to Korea from ancient times. Here Toadface makes it clear that they were lying. He says, Dokdo was not not owned by any state,
    that means it was not owned even by Korea.
    I think Gerry’s post here and in his blog are taking effect.

    Now, the directive toadface is talking about was issued by SCAP

    SCAP(Supureme .
    For the territory to be acquired or given up, you need a treaty or effective control .
    Thus Japan abandoned the territory mentioned in SF treaty.
    But Dokdo is not mentioned in SF treaty.
    Therefore Japan did not give up Dokdo.
    Japan had had effective control over Dokdo before.
    Japan still has the title to Dokdo, Korea is illegally occupying it.
    And
    SCAP is not the subject of treaty. It has no power to make any county to acquire or give up the territory. It had power to temporarily stop Japanese administration over Dokdo, which by the way presuppose Japan had sovereignty over Dokdo. Because SCAP has no power to make Japan acquire and abandon the title to territory, SF treaty was concluded.
    These points should be made clear.
    .

    As for the external notification,
    Japan has shown it is not necessary.
    All Toadface has shown is some scholars do not think it is not necessary.
    Toadface has yet to show that it is necessary, citing the precedence.
    He has yet to show Japan failed to the notification that is necessary in terms of international law.

    Thank you.

  44. toadface Says:

    SQZ: The Berlin Act doesn’t anything about notifying all countries upon acquiring land it states simply giving notification. Japan gave none.
    First, the announcement made was internal and made by a regional branch of government. Local government announcements cannot be seen as intent of a state’s will.
    The Governor of Shimane Prefecture is merely an administrative organ which could announce publicly administrative action under Japan’s domestic law, but cannot represent the State, in marking declaration or notification of the occupation of territory or the intention of sovereign occupation by the State under international law. The public announcement by the Governor of Shimane Prefecture was not an act beyond power, but an act without power.
    A notice is designed for many and unspecified people ⑴ to inform them do a specific matter, ⑵ to announce the enactment of a law or regulation ; ⑶ and to make public an administrative disposition or legislation. The Shimane Prefecture Public Notice No. 40” is not a declaration or notification of occupation because it was not conducted as an interstate activity but was merely an administrative action under municipal law.,, the Shimane Prefecture Public Notice No. 40” is non-existent as a declaration of occupation or notification under international law.
    Yes, Ponta I have shown some legal experts disagree with Japan’s statement that notification is necessary. These people were/are a more credible source of information than you or I. When Princeton University publishes your works let me know
    Therefore, my point is valid. That being, just because the Japanese Foreign Ministry says notification is not necessary doesn’t make it so.
    Before the world will hear Japan’s claim toward Dokdo I think the Japanese Foreign Ministry should answer some questions.
    1) Why didn’t the Japanese follow their own standard procedure of land aquisition like the did when they incorporated the Bonin Islands ?(they notfied Britain and US)
    2) Why did they wait a full year before notifying Korea?

    Ponta, Japan was stripped of Dokdo and no future instruction on its ownership were given. Case closed. What does America say about Dokdo now? Do they support Japans claim. NO !!

  45. sqz Says:

    toadface wrote:

    The Berlin Act doesn’t anything about notifying all countries upon acquiring land it states simply giving notification.

    ベルリン議定書では、議定書に調印した国々にだけ告知をすればいいのです。
    With Berlin protocol, government should notify only the countries which signed a protocol.
    その義務も議定書に調印した国々にだけしかありません。
    There is the duty only in the countries which signed a protocol.
    日本も韓国も、ベルリン議定書に調印していません。
    Neither Japan nor Korea signs Berlin protocol.
    しかし、君は慣習法になったと主張しました。
    But, you insisted that it became a customary law.
    慣習法なのですから、世界のすべての国々に適用されます。
    Because it is a customary law, it is applied to all world countries.

    韓国は領有の告知を、世界のすべての国にしてませんね。
    Korea did not make a notice of possession of Korean territories for all world countries.
    よって、竹島どころか朝鮮半島も鬱陵島も、すべての韓国の領土が無効になりますよ。(笑
    Therefore, Takeshima, The Korean Peninsura, Ulleungdo, all Korean territories is invalid.

  46. ponta Says:

    Toadface

    The Governor of Shimane Prefecture is merely an administrative organ which could announce publicly administrative action under Japan’s domestic law, but cannot represent the State,

    MINQUIERS AND ECREHOS CASE(ICJ 1953)
    The Court attached probative value to various acts relating to the exercise by Jersey of jurisdiction and local administration and to legislation,

    CASE CONCERNING SOVEREIGNTY OVER PULAU LIGITAN AND PULAU SIPADAN(ICJ 2002)
    Finally, Indonesia states that the waters around Ligitan and Sipadan have traditionally been used by Indonesian fishermen. The Court observes, however, that activities by private persons cannot be seen as effectivités if they do not take place on the basis of official regulations or under governmental authority.(Apply it to the An’s case)

    1) Why didn’t the Japanese follow their own standard procedure of land aquisition like the did when they incorporated the Bonin Islands ?(they notfied Britain and US)
    2) Why did they wait a full year before notifying Korea?

    What do these questions have to do with the title of Dokdo?
    To acquire the territory, you need the treaty,or the effecitve control without contest.Japan satisfy the latter.
    There might be many speculations as to your questions, and some Koreans love conspiracy theory but in any case it does not matter. Asking irrelevant questions is not a good way for Korea to prove that (1)Korea recognized Dokdo ,(2)Korea had effective control over Dokdo.

    Japan was stripped of Dokdo and no future instruction on its ownership were given. Case closed. What does America say about Dokdo now? Do they support Japans claim. NO !!

    Japan was temporarily prevented from exercising administrative power over Dokdo. SCAP had no power to give or take the territory. That is why SF treaty was concluded. It is reasonable to suppose that at the latest, when the SCAP dissolved, its directive became legally ineffective.(who legally binds Japan by the SCAP directive when there is no SCAP ?)

    USA recognized that Dokdo belonged to Japan, that Korea claim is groundless.

    the Republic of Korea asserted its claims to Dokto 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. The Republic of Korea has been confidentially informed of the United States position regarding the islands but our position has not been made public. Though the United States considers that the islands are Japanese territory, we have declined to interfere in the dispute. 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.

    And USA has been a mature nation, it does not want to be involved in the territorial issue. So it suggested Korea to send the issue to ICJ if Korea had complaints. USA’s position is consistent. It wants Korea and Japan to settle the issues peacefully. Nonetheless, Korea grabbed DoKdo by force and greed.

    the Republic of Korea Navy has fired upon Japanese vessels; some of the vessels have been apprehended and taken to Korean ports…… but the vessels usually have been detained and are now being reportedly operated by the Republic of Koreaus report

    And some Japanese fishermen were killed.

    And now Korean Navy is preparing for the war with Japan.ーーーscary, one might mistake SK for NK if he/she is not careful.

  47. toadface Says:

    Ponta. says:
    1. The Republic of Korea has been confidentially informed of the United States position regarding the islands but our position has not been made public

    This is not an official statement that can be seen as the intent of America.

    First of all as I mentioned. Who made America the moral authority as to which state gets to own which territory in Asia.
    America is a mature country. Just a few years before the Dokdo problem arose they bombed your country back to the stone stone ages. Do you agree with that decision. America couldn’t have cared less who was the rightful owner of Dokdo as this time. The had Japan defeated and if the gave Dokdo to Japan they would have easier access to the East Sea.

    Second of all, what is the attitude of the Amercian government in more recent times? A lot more evidence has come forward since then. America does not support Japans claim to Dokdo.

    Ponta says:
    2. Japan was temporarily prevented from exercising administrative power.
    There were no further instructions given to the status of Dokdo by the Americans and the Koreans now have the islands. Korea was not bound by any other treaty upon taking over command from USFK.
    In conclusion. Too bad.

    Korea has never fired a shot in an offensive manner. All military actions were in a defensive manner because Japanese aggressively tried to invade the area.

    SQZ: When Korea declared her sovereignty she announced all territories that were inclusive to her land and Dokdo was included.

    As I’ve mentioned many legal experts agree the Berlin Protocal has validity beyond the scope of the African continent.

    3. The Governor of Shimane Prefecture is merely an administrative organ which could announce publicly administrative action under Japan’s domestic law, but cannot represent the State, in marking declaration or notification of the occupation of territory or the intention of sovereign occupation by the State under international law. The public announcement by the Governor of Shimane Prefecture was not an act beyond power, but an act without power.
    4. A notice is designed for many and unspecified people ⑴ to inform them do a specific matter, ⑵ to announce the enactment of a law or regulation ; ⑶ and to make public an administrative disposition or legislation. The Shimane Prefecture Public Notice No. 40” is not a declaration or notification of occupation because it was not conducted as an interstate activity but was merely an administrative action under municipal law.,, the Shimane Prefecture Public Notice No. 40” is non-existent as a declaration of occupation or notification under international law

  48. ponta Says:

    Toadface
    Thanks

    1

    America couldn’t have cared less who was the rightful owner of Dokdo as this time.

    That is right, and that makes American statement about Dokdo credible. and they concluded Dokdo belonged to Japan.

    America does not support Japans claim to Dokdo.

    America does not support Korea’s claim either. American position is the issue should be settled peacefully. She suggested the issue to be settled by ICJ. Japan agreed, Korea rejected because Korea know it was illegal..

    2

    There were no further instructions given to the status of Dokdo by the Americans and the Koreans now have the islands. Korea was not bound by any other treaty upon taking over command from USFK

    That there was no further instructions, coupled with SF treaty and other documents is a proof that Dokdo belonged to Japan.
    Korea is bound by international law, and probably also by simple moral law if i am not mistaken:Do not steal.

    Korea has never fired a shot in an offensive manner. All military actions were in a defensive manner because Japanese aggressively tried to invade the area.

    Korea has fired a shot and as a result some Japanese fishermen were killed, and many were wounded. They were detained and released later, but their ships were taken up and Koreans used them.
    Whether Japanese fishermen invaded depends on whether Dokdo belongs to Korea. and Dokdo does not belongs to Korea, Korea has been illegally occupying it, killing and wounding Japanese fishermen. Korea’s occupation is not peaceful at all.

    3
    To acquire the territory, the effective control is necessary. and sufficient.
    The effective control by local government is good enough as the precedence shows.
    Japan showed the precedences where notification was not necessary.
    Toadface, could you show us the similar case where the title was denied because the notification was like Shimane’s?Then and only then people will be convinced. Please for the sake of Korea, show us the precedence..

    Japan had effective control sufficient enough, according to the precedence, to establish the title.
    On the other hand all Korea has is illegal occupation

    BTW I think Roh is a great president. I was not interested in Dokdo before Roh made a fuss. Probably many Japanese were like that. And Korean navy is preparing the war with Japan about Dokdo.That is a proof that it is a disputed island. Let’s settle it peacefully at ICJ. If Korea wins, she get much larger EEZ. Does that sound good for Korea?

  49. ponta Says:

    Toadface
    lest you be deceived by Korean histrians.
    incident
    (Japanese version is written in much detail)
    Do you call firing away civilian fisherman by a machine gun “defensive”
    Ask Korean histrians how many Japanese fishermen were killed, wounded, detained. Ask them how brutally they were treated.

  50. toadface Says:

    Ponta, Korea didn’t steal Dokdo they took back what they claimed in 1900. Remember this?
    http://www.geocities.com/mlovmo/temp16.html

    Ponta says
    To acquire the territory, the effective control is necessary. and sufficient.
    The effective control by local government is good enough as the precedence shows.
    First the case you cite was 50 years after the laws regarding notification were changed in 1919 via the St Germain Treaty.
    Secondly effective control must be uncontested and Korea contested it. Whether you agree it was sufficient is irrelevant. Given the fact that the Korean Foriegn Ministry was dismantled at this time the Korean illustrated cleary they considered Dokdo Korean territory. Korea protested through media and through what governmental organs (provincial and municipal) were still intact.

    Period. Effective control doesn’t come first it comes after the required legal procedures are fulfilled. You are putting the cart before the horse Ponta.
    Read above what I’ve posted and you will see the Japanese postion is full of holes.
    Claims made by municipal governments cannot be made on behalf of a state. California can’t claim Hawaii on behalf of America.
    In addition, the issue of notification is debatable as well and the quotes from international experts support my views.
    Just because the Japanese Foreign Ministry says notification isn’t necessary doesn’t make it so.

    Japan refused to go to ICJ on other issues. Didn’t they?

    If Korea makes Dokdo habitable they get a larger EEZ anyway. So why bother?

    BTW. Don’t use Dean Rusk as a moral guide to who gets what territory in Asia. First of all Dean Rusk was a strict anti-Communist. He was in favor of military action in both Vietnam and Korea and believed in the use of military power to prevent the spread of Communism in Asia. It’s clear he was on Japan’s side in the Dokdo issue to give the States a good position while anticipating the oncoming cold war with Russia.

  51. ponta Says:

    Toadface
    Thanks
    Do you seriously believe that Imperial Ordinance No. 41 in 1900 is a claim to dokdo?

    勅令第四十一號
    Imperial Ordinance No. 41……..
    第二條…..郡廳位置눈台霞洞으로定하고區域은鬱陵全島와
    ………….竹島石島를管轄할事
    Ariticle 2..Seat of Prefectural Office shall be in Taeha-dong, as for jurisdiction Prefect shall govern the whole of Ullung Is., Chuk Is., and Sok Is.

    Where is Dokdo mentioned?
    And tell me if Korea notify it to Japan.

    Legally,

    The Court finally observes that it can only consider those acts as constituting a relevant display of authority which leave no doubt as to their specific reference to the islands in dispute as such.

    CASE CONCERNING SOVEREIGNTY OVER PULAU LIGITAN AND PULAU SIPADAN(ICJ 2002)

    According to ICJ, the reference must be so clear as to leave no doubt.
    But Korea’s document leave tons of doubts, since it did not mention Dokdo at all.

    Historically,
    Kwanundo 観音島 was called sokdo
    map
    石 was pronounced as sok in Ulleungdo.
    toron
    石 is still read as seok in Korea
    http://www.watanabesato.co.jp/wldculture/korea/kws.htm#so
    石 is still pronounced as seok in Ulleungdo.
    http://www.ulleung.go.kr/Ullung_English/sub2_03.html
    In Jeodong (저동), the largest village on the island, there are the famous Bongnae (봉래) waterfall and Seokpo (석포) village that provides a beautiful trekking course. You can also enjoy looking at neighboring Jukdo (죽도) and Gwaneumdo (관음도) islands while trekking http://english.daegu.go.kr/group02/chingusai/200307.htm
    Thus it is most reasonable to assume 石島 in ordinance refer to Kwanundo.

    That some Koreans in Ulleungdo from 全羅道pronounced 石 as Dok is no proof that Sokdo in question is Dokdo.
    (1)Not everyone is from 全羅道 province In fact as of 1906, it is reported that most people were from 江原道慶尚道 http://toron.pepper.jp/jp/take/hennyu/ishijima2.html
    (2) It must be proved ,and it is essential that these people from全羅道 actually referred to Dokdo/takeshima by “Doksum”.So far no Korean historians proved it. All they proved that there is a dialect in which some people pronounced 石 as Dok.

    First the case you cite was 50 years after the laws regarding notification were changed in 1919 via the St Germain Treaty.

    Sorry, but I don’t understand what you are saying here.

    Secondly effective control must be uncontested and Korea contested it. Whether you agree it was sufficient is irrelevant.

    You are right. Whether I agree or not is irrelevant. But the fact
    remain that Korea did not protest to Japan or any other countries.

    Korea protested through media and through what governmental organs (provincial and municipal) were still intact.

    To whom?

    Effective control doesn’t come first it comes after the required legal procedures are fulfilled. You are putting the cart before the horse Ponta.

    Do you mean legendary Korean bear (was it a tiger?) took the legal procedure before he had effective control over peninsula? ーーーDamn, why did the Korean history not mention it!

    The control of territory and the peaceful and effective exercise of the functions of a sate therein is the primary means of acquiring title to territory in international law. They can be subdivided into two classes. When the exercise of authority takes place in a territory which does not belong to any other state(Terra nullius)we may say that title is based on effective “occupation”. When the exercise of authority takes place in a territory which formally belongs to another state, we may say that title is based on ‘prescription. However the difference between these two concept is only one of degree and the essential element of both is the exercise of state functionpage144

    And Dokdo was not owned by Korea, and Japan had effective control.

    the issue of notification is debatable as well and the quotes from international experts support my views.

    Just give us a precedence, if there is none, tell us so.

    Japan refused to go to ICJ on other issues

    What other issue are you talking about?Which country suggest to send the matter to ICJ?

    If Korea makes Dokdo habitable they get a larger EEZ anyway. So why bother

    No, Korea can not. But if Korea win at ICJ, she is most likely to l get larger EEZ.

    Don’t use Dean Rusk as a moral guide to who gets what territory in Asia. First of all Dean Rusk was a strict anti-Communist. He was in favor of military action in both Vietnam and Korea and believed in the use of military power to prevent the spread of Communism in Asia. It’s clear he was on Japan’s side in the Dokdo issue to give the States a good position while anticipating the oncoming cold war with Russia.

    It was not Rusk it was a Report of Van Fleet mission.
    You said before “America couldn’t have cared less who was the rightful owner of Dokdo as this time.” Now you changed you view, didn’t you?
    What makes USA on Japan’s side? No conspiracy theory is needed here.
    USA was reasonable in rejecting Korean claim that Prangdo= non-existent imaginary island , Tsushima and Takeshima=Japanese islands, be given to Korea
    I love USA.

  52. Gerry-Bevers Says:

    Toadface,

    The Uldo (Ulleungdo) County head said “Dokdo” was 100 ri from Ulleungdo, but it was actually over 200 ri. If Dokdo had really been a part of Uldo County, why didn’t the county head know where the island was? Why did he say 100 ri?

    I think he said 100 ri because the Japanese told him it was 100 ri away. By that time, the Japanese were using ri to refer to kilometers, but, as far as I know, the Koreans were still using a 0.4 kilometer ri.

    The Koreans may have heard of Dokdo, and some Koreans may have even fished there, but Dokdo was not Seokdo, which was the Ulleungdo neighboring island that was made a part of Uldo County in 1900.

    In 1882, Lee Gyu-won surveyed Ulleungdo and said it had two neighboring islands called Jukdo and Dohang. The map he draw of Ulleungdo shows Jukdo to be present-day Jukdo and Dohang to be present-day Kwaneumdo, both of which are neighboring islands of present-day Ulleungdo. The 1900 Royal Edict also said that Ulleungdo (蔚陵島) had two neighboring islands, which were Jukdo (竹島) and Seokdo (石島). Ulleungdo and its two neighboring islands were referred to as Uldo County.

    Seokdo (石島) means “rock island,” and Dokdo (獨島) means “lonely island, which means that not only are the names of the two islands different, but their Chinese characters and their meanings are different.

    Yes, Koreans claim that in the Cholla dialect “Seok” (石) is sometimes pronounced as “Dok,” but that that would still not explain the difference in Chinese characters. And even if “Dokdo” had been a nickname for Seokdo, it is very, very unlikely that the head of the county would send an official letter to his superiors using the “nickname.” The letter would have referred to the island by its official name.

    I think the Korean county head heard the Japanese say that “Dokdo” was 100 ri east of his county, misunderstood 100 ri to be 40 kilometers, and felt that that was too close to his county to be considered Japanese territory. He did not know that “Dokdo” was actually 92 kilometers away. If Dokdo had really been part of his county, he would have known where it was located.

    By the way, his superiors did not know where Dokdo was, either, and told the Uldo county head to investigate the island and report. Since Korea never did protest to the Japanese about their incorporation of Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo/Takeshima), the Korean investigation must have shown that “Dokdo” was not part of Korean territory.

    By the way, I used to know a Steve Barber who was a Korean linguist in the army in the late 1970s. We went to DLI together. I wonder if the Steve Barber mentioned on Lovmo’s site is the one I knew?

  53. sqz Says:

    ponta

    First the case you cite was 50 years after the laws regarding notification were changed in 1919 via the St Germain Treaty.

    Sorry, but I don’t understand what you are saying here.

    toadfaceが、まともに人の主張を聞いていないことの証拠ですよ。
    It is the evidence that toadface does not hear opinions of a person directly.
    サンジェルマン条約を言ったのは僕です。
    It is me that said Saint-Germain treaty.
    それから彼の僕に対する反論に対する反論を、もはや先に書いていあるというのに、彼は気付いてません。
    Then though I wrote an argument for an argument for me of toadface earlier, he does not notice it.

  54. ponta Says:

    sqz thanks
    Anyway

    Legally 1900 Korea edict is not specific enough to establish the title to Dokdo.
    Historically Seokdo in 1900 document is most likely to refer to Kwanundo.
    And according to Toadface, it is invalid because Korea did not notify it to Japan

  55. Two Cents Says:

    Although I’m way late on the topic, I though I’d point this out since no one seems to have, out of fondness of memories of my college years that the picture brought back.

    In the link provided by toadface, there is a map (2nd from last) with the label “A 1946 map published by Japan’s Geographical Department shows no islands West of Oki Islands.” He seems to use this as proof that the Japanese govenment did not recognize Takeshima even in 1946.
    http://www.geocities.com/mlovmo/temp17.html

    However, this map is not a territorial map. In fact, it’s NOT a map in the real sense of the word. It’s a CATALOGUE OF MAPS published by the geographical department (presently published by the Geographical Survey Institute). See how the blocks have a name of a region printed in them? You order the maps by this name and scale. See this online catalogue available presently.
    http://www.jmc.or.jp/map/ichiran/omote/omote.html
    In my college days, there was no such thing as online shopping, and we used the same catalogue as the one given by the link in toadface above (except a more updated version), provided free of charge by your local mapseller.

    The GSI does not issue separate large-scale maps for isolated islands in the sea, and they are usually provided as insertions into maps of the adjoing area for convenience, and Takeshima is no exception. In my days, you asked your local mapseller to find out which islands were included in which area. Now, it seems the information is provided in the catalogue.

    Anyhow, this was a version issued before the San Francisco Treaty, so it really doesn’t prove anything either way.

  56. katie646 Says:

    I just read up to the first video and have a question.
    It seems that you doubt about the usando as the old name of Dokto because of the totally different natural environments. But it doesn’t seem that not only the Korean side that has the problem of matching the names of island in that area. For example, you mentioned jukdo(chukdo), but did you know that it uses the same chinese letters with Japanese Takeshima? I always wondered, if then Dokdo is originally Takeshima, why there is no bamboos at all but just rocks?

    * Jukdo/Takeshima mean “island of bamboo.” But I don’t know how come the both countries have the same name for different islands, which do not really match with their natural environments.

  57. Two Cents Says:

    katie,
    Yes, we are all aware of the Jukto and Takeshima being written using the same Chinese characters, and that the fact is adding to the confusion.

    Ulleungdo had lots of bamboos, and that is why the Japanese originally referred to Ullengdo as Takeshima. However, when westerners mapped the islands in the Sea of Japan in the 19th century, they mistakenly mapped 3 islands instead of 2. Thus, the Japanese name shifted towards the Korean peninsula with the Liancourt Rocks being added on the Japanese side. Takeshima became the name for Argonaut Island, which was later found to be non-existent, and thus, the name Takeshima was lost. When Japan incorporated the Liancourt Rocks in 1905, it gave the island the “lost” name of Takeshima.

  58. Kaneganese Says:

    (Japanese translation for Gerry’s post)
    (Gerryの投稿の日本語訳です。)

    嘘、(欺瞞に満ちた)半面の真理、そして(人の注意をそらすような)空論

    これは、韓国政府による”独島” (竹島/Liancourt Rocks)が歴史的に韓国の領土であることを主張するビデオです。最初はビデオを最後まで見ながら一つ一つ問題点を指摘しようと思っていました。しかし、余りにも多くの嘘、欺瞞に満ちた半面の真理、そして人の注意をそらすような実の無い論議に満ち満ちており、それらを数えているうちにすっかりイヤになってしまいました。そんな事をして貴重な時間を無駄にするより、私はただ、次のように言いたいと思います。「1905年以前の韓国の地図や文献には、日本海に浮かぶいかなる島も、“独島”と言う名称で呼ばれていた事を示すものは無い。」ということです。「アメリカ人の法学教授が言った」という1900年公布の大韓帝国勅令第41号も、もちろんその中の一つです。つまり「韓国の地図や文献が“独島”の事を言っている」とビデオの中で流れる度に、それは嘘だ、と言うことが分かるでしょう。

    韓国の古い地図や文献には、日本海(東海)に浮かぶ二つの島について記述があります。その島の名前は、鬱陵島(武陵島)と于山島です。韓国人は、于山島が“独島”のことだと主張しており、そのため韓国の地図や文献の中に于山島という名前が出てくると、彼等は記述されている通りの名前ではなく、自動的にその島を独島と呼び変えてしまうのです。しかし、それはとても誤解を生じ易いというだけではなく、そもそも大きな誤りだと言えます。というのも、こうした地図や文献の中に出てくる于山島は、実際には竹嶼(竹島/Jukdo)という、鬱陵島の東沖4kmに満たない近い距離にある小さな島嶼のことを示しているのです。このことはつまり、ビデオの中で「日本側の文献が“独島”について何らかの記述がある」といっている時は、鬱陵島の隣接島の“竹嶼(竹島・Jukdo)”の事をいっていることになります。現在の“独島”のことではないのです。

    韓国の古地図には、于山島が鬱陵島のすぐ隣に描かれており、その場所は現在の独島 (竹島/Liancourt Rocks)が位置している鬱陵島東南93km沖ではありません。韓国の古い文献には于山島はとても肥沃な土地で、木や他の植物が生えている、と記述していますが、独島 (竹島/Liancourt Rocks)はただの岩山で木はおろか植物さえ殆ど生えていません。最近韓国人が土を持ち込んで植物を植えようとしていますが、それも目立つようなものではなく、木に至っては全くありません。韓国の古い文献では于山島の住民についても記述があります。それもこの島が“独島”ではありえない事を意味しています。独島 (竹島/Liancourt Rocks)には水も土も無く、人が生きていくことが出来ないからです。

    ビデオへのリンクの下に、于山島が現在の独島 (竹島/Liancourt Rocks)では有り得ない事を証明する韓国の古地図や、古い文献からの引用へのリンクを示します。しかし、まずは問題のビデオを見て、いくつ嘘や欺瞞に満ちた半面の真理を見つけられるか、試して見て下さい。

    “独島”ビデオへのリンク〈リンク〉
    〈日本語スクリプトへのリンク〉

    “(1145年) 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
    13年(512年)夏(6月)、于山国が服属し、その年から貢物をした。于山国は、溟州の真東にあり、別名鬱陵島ともいう。四方は100里ある。”

    「于山国は、別名鬱陵島ともいう」と記述されている事に注目して下さい。文中の面積も鬱陵島の面積とほぼ一致します。ところで于山国とは文字通り、“大きな山の国”という意味で、鬱陵島は“こんもり茂る大きな丘の島”の意味です。これは単なる偶然の一致でしょうか?

    “(1277年頃) 三国遺事 巻一 智哲老王
    以前琵羅州と呼ばれていた溟州の東の海中、風がよければ2日ほどの距離に、于陵島がある。その島は現在羽陵と呼ばれており、周囲の距離は26,730歩ある。”

    上記の引用で、鬱陵島は于陵島と記述されています。この記録の中では、于陵島の“于”は、于山島の“于”と同じ漢字が使用されています。このことから、于山島と鬱陵島は元々は一つの島に付けられた二つの名前であったことが窺い知れるのです。

    “(1412年 4月15日)太宗実録12年4月巳巳条 
    政府の命により、流山国島(Yusanguk-do)の人々をどう取り扱うべきかが議論された。江原道の観察使が流山国人の白加勿ら12名が高城の羅津にやってきて停泊し、言った事を次のように報告した。‘私達は武陵島で生まれ育ったが、後に本島に移住して今はそこに住んでいる。その島には11の家族がおり、全部で60人以上の住民がいる。島の距離は、東西と南北はそれぞれ2息〈60里〉で、周囲は8息(240里)ある。牛馬、水田は無いが、豆を1斗植えれば20石とれる。麦を1石植えれば50石余りの収穫が見込める。竹は椽〈たるき〉のように大きく、沢山の海産物や果物の木がある。’”

    知事が“流山国”と呼ばれる島(Yusanguk-do)から12人の人々がやってきた、と発言していることにお気づきでしょうか。さらに面白いのは、人々は“武陵島”と呼ばれる島で生まれ育ったものの、のちに于山国島と考えられる“本島”へ移動したと言っている事です。それはつまり、武陵島は于山国島に隣接する島で、11家族60人もの人間が生活できるだけのライフサポート=生活必需品があったのです。ということは、その隣接する島は、2,3人の人でさえ住めないただの岩山である独島/竹島では有り得ない訳です。

    住民による流山国島の描写から、“本島”が鬱陵島のことを指していることが分かります。隣接する、彼等が生まれ育った島(武陵島)はほぼ確実に、鬱陵島の最大の付属島である竹嶼/竹島〈Jukdo)であると言えます。下に、現在の鬱陵島の地図を揚げました。

    地図1:現在の鬱陵島

    上記の1412年の文献の引用によりますと、鬱陵島の住民は本島を“于山国島”と呼んでおり、隣接する島を“武陵島”と呼んでいました。もし、于山国島が鬱陵島の事を指しているのなら、武陵島はその東岸沖にあったはずです。と言うのも、鬱陵島の付属島は東岸沖にしかないからです。それは、何故初期の韓国の鬱陵島の地図では、于山島が鬱陵島の西に描かれていたのか、説明がつきます。ビデオの中に出てきた、1530年の韓国の地図からの切り抜きをご覧になって下さい。

    地図2: 八道総図 (1530)からの抜粋

    この地図で、于山島が鬱陵島の西に描かれていることがお分かりでしょうか。これは、上で説明した1412年の太宗実録の記録の中で、于山国島の住民が行った2島の位置関係の描写と一致します。

    ところで、独島ビデオの中で、この地図が韓国の地図で初めて“独島“の事を描いたものだ、と言っていますが、この地図の中では“独島”であるはずの島は“独島”とは呼ばれていません。しかも鬱陵島の西にあるので、実際は鬱陵島南東沖92kmに位置する”独島” (竹島/Liancourt Rocks)ではありえません。

    これら2つの島の名前は1700年代になって初めて入れ替わるのです。

    “(1416年9月2日) 大宗実録16年丙申九月庚寅条
    金麟雨〈キム・インウ)を武陵地域の安撫使に任命した。戸曹参判の朴習はこう言った。「私が江原道の都観察使(長官・知事)だった時、こう聞いた。‘武陵島の 周囲は7息で, そばに 小島があり, 田地が 50結ほどになるのに、その道は人が並んで歩く事はできないほど狭い。昔、方之用という者がおり、15戸の家族を率いて住み、時に仮倭(倭寇の振りをした朝鮮人)として盗みを働いた。その島を知っている者が三陟にいるので、使いをやって見てきてください。’

    王はそうすべきだと考え、三陟人の前万戸である金麟雨に武陵島について尋ねた。金麟雨は「三陟人の李万が武陵に行って戻ったことがあり、その島について詳しく知っているはずです。」と言い、すぐに李万を召還した。麟雨が言うには、「武陵島は遠く海の中にあり、互いに往来することが出来ないので、軍役を避ける者が時々逃げ込んで行くのです。もし この島に多くの人が接するようになれば、必ず侵犯して日本からやって来て盗みを働くでしょう。このようにして江原道を徐々に侵犯するやもしれません。」

    王は納得し、金麟雨を武陵地域の安撫使に任命し、李万を伴わせて、兵船 2尺、抄工 2人、引海 2人、銃と火薬、食料を携えその島へ行き、島の頭目人を諭して、戻ってきた。王は金麟雨に衣服、かさ、靴を褒美に与えた。”

    上記の記録で、前の江原道都観察使は、武陵島を本島と言っていますが、同時にその島には隣接する島があるとも言っています。おそらく彼は、1412年より以前に江原道都観察使の任に当たっており、“流山国島”の住民が鬱陵島の本島は、“流山国島”で、それより小さな隣接島は“武陵島”である、と伝えた時期より前だったのでしょう。

    王が金麟雨に島の検察を命じたとき、彼は金に単なる“武陵の安撫使”では無く、“武陵地域の安撫使”と言う肩書きを与えたのです。つまり、王はこの肩書きを作ったとき隣接する島の噂を聞いていたと考えられるのです。

    “(1417年2月5日) 大宗実録17年丁酉二月壬戌条
    安撫使(検察使)の金麟雨が于山島から戻り、土産に大竹、水牛皮、生苧、綿子、検撲(木業)木などの物を持ち帰り献上した。住民を3名連れて帰った。島には15戸の家族が住んでおり、人数は男女全員で86人である。島から帰還する際、再び台風に遭遇し、何とか生きて帰ることが出来た。”

    1416年の9月に金麟雨は、“武陵地域の安撫使”と言う任務を拝命して武陵島へ検察へ赴きます。しかし、お気づきでしょうか。この記録の中で金は、“武陵島”ではなく“于山島”から戻った、と書かれています。彼はまた、大竹や木などのお土産を持ち帰っています。おそらく金が武陵島に着いた時、島の住民がそこは武陵島ではなく“于山島”だ、と教えたのでしょう。記録の中では近くの小さな島が何という名で呼ばれていたのか記述されていませんが、はっきりと言えることは、金は大竹や木などを于山島で採取したということです。つまり、于山島は独島ではない、ということです。独島はこうした植物の生えない二つの岩で出来た島に過ぎないからです。

    “ (1417年2月8日) 大宗実録17年二月乙丑
    右議政韓尚敬が6人の大臣に命じ、于山武陵から住民をどう退去させるか協議した。皆このように言った。「武陵の住民を退去させない方がよいでしょう。五穀を給付し、農機具を与えて、安心して農業をさせましょう。そして帥撫使(武官?)を派遣して年貢を定めればよいではないですか。」

    しかし、工曹判書の黄喜だけは反対し、「彼等を定住させずに、速やかに退去させるべきです。」と申し上げた。

    王曰く「住民を退去させるのがよいであろう。これらの人民は今まで使役を逃れのんきに暮らしてきた。もし年貢を定めて武官を常駐させれば、必ず恨みを持つだろう。よって、これ以上長く停留させるわけにはいかない。金麟雨を安撫使に留めておき、于山武陵地域にもう一度派遣して住民を島から退去して本土へ戻るよう引率させよう。」

    王は(金麟雨へ)衣類、笠、及び靴を、また于山の住民3人に衣服を1揃いずつ与えた。そして江原道の観察使に命じ、兵船二隻を供給し、道内の水軍の中から有能な者を選んで麟雨に同行させるよう言った。”

    上記の記録では、大臣達は金麟雨が最近行った鬱陵島検察について話し合っています。彼等が住民のことを“于山武陵の住民”と言っていることに注意して下さい。つまり、于山と武陵が隣同士の島であるだけでなく、どちらの島にも住民が居る事を物語っています。また、“于山”という名前が“武陵”の前に付いていることがお分かりでしょうか。つまり、于山の方が大きな島である可能性が高いのです。最後に、金が“于山”の住民三名を連れ帰ったことに注目します。つまり、于山島には人が住んでいたのです。ここでまた、于山島が現在の独島では無いことが証明されました。

    “ (1417年8月6日) 大宗実録十七年八月条
    倭寇が于山と武陵島を襲った。”

    この記録は重ねて、于山島と武陵島が隣同士の島であったことを示しています。もし、二つの島のうちどちらかが現在の独島であるとすれば、どうやって片方の島が略奪にあっていることに気がつくのでしょう。92kmも離れているにも関わらず。そもそも、独島に略奪するものがあったのでしょうか?有り得ません。

    “(1425年8月8日) 世宗実録世宗七年八月条
    王(世宗)は金麟雨を再び于山武陵等安撫使に任命した。1416年、金乙之、李萬金、*(汚の右側)乙金ら、武陵島に住む平海の元住人の逃亡者を連れ帰った。1423年には金乙之を含む23人の男女が島へ逃げ戻った。その年5月、金乙之を含む7人の住民が妻や子を島に残して小さな船で海を渡り、平海の港へ密かに戻った所で発見された。監司は彼等を逮捕し、緊急の命令を出して島に残る住民を、村から一掃して連れ戻すように指示した。50人の人員と軍事物資を載せ、3ヵ月後金麟雨は船に乗り込み、出立した。その島は、東の海中にある。金麟雨は三陟の出身。”

    上記の記録で、金麟雨は今だ“于山武陵等安撫使”と呼ばれている事にお気づきでしょうか。彼は再び武陵島に派遣され、住民を連れ帰るように命じられます。ここでまた、彼の肩書きが于山と武陵島が隣り合う島であることを示唆しています。私は、ここで使われている武陵島という名称はその地域の一般的な名称ではないかと思っています。

    “(1425年10月20日) 世宗実録世宗7年10月乙酉條
    于山武陵等處按撫使の金麟雨 は、使役の義務を逃れるために島に渡っていた男女20人を探して捕え、帰還した。最初、麟雨は兵船二隻を拝領して茂陵島へ向かったが、46名を載せた一隻の兵船が途中強い風に吹かれて失踪してしまった。

    王が皆に言った。「20人を捕えるのに40人以上を失い、何の利益があろうか。あの島には特別な産物は無く、人々はただ賦役を逃れんがために島へ行くのであろう。」

    禮曹參判の金自知が言った。「今般捉えた逃亡民は、法律にのっとって裁かれるべきです。」王曰く「これらの者どもは、誰かに従って外国へ行ったわけではなく、しかもこうした事例では、以前は赦免されているので、新たに罪を加えることはあってはならない。」

    王は兵曹(法務省)に命じ、于忠清道の遠く深い山の中へ追放し、二度と逃亡出来ないようにした。また、3年間使役と年貢を免除した。”

    金麟雨 が茂陵島から20名の島民を連れ帰ったことに注意して下さい。

    “(1436年6月19日) 世宗実録世宗18年閏6月甲申條
    江原道監司の柳季聞が言った。「武陵島牛山 は、土地が肥沃で東西南北はそれぞれ50余里ある。沿海部は四方が石の壁で囲まれており、船が停泊できる場所がある。どうか、私に許可を頂き民を集め、この地を開拓させてください。もし萬戸守令を置いていただければ、長く努力することでしょう。」この希望は、宮廷から却下された。”

    上記の記録によると、江原道監司は“武陵島牛山”の開拓を願い出ており、つまり、于山が武陵島諸島に属していることを示しています。武陵島ではなく、牛山への移住を打診しているところから、于山が主島であることが分かります。事実、この于山の記述は、鬱陵島の主島の記述と合致します。

    “世宗実録世宗19年2月(1437年2月8日)
    江原道監司の柳季聞に対し王曰く‘1436年秋に茂陵島の土地は大変肥沃で、穀物は陸地の10倍とれ、多くの産物があるので県を設置し、守護を配置するのがよい、とお前は言った。また、そうすることで嶺東のフェンスとすべきだ、とも言った。すぐに大臣に命じ、討議させたが、皆口を揃えてこう言った。「この島は、本土から大変遠く、風と波が高く、不測の事態が起きやすい。よって、郡や県を設置するのは宜しくない。」

    お前は、今になってこのように言う。‘古老が言うには、以前日本人がやって来て嶺東を略奪している間、島に住んでいた。また、対馬に住んで嶺東から、東は咸吉道を侵略していた。茂陵島はずっと無人島であったため崎に日本人が占拠していたなら、将来大変憂慮すべきことになる。しかし、県を設置し守護を派遣して、住民を移住させることが難しい。ならば、毎年人員を派遣して、あるいは島内を探索したり産物を採取したり、馬場を作るなどすれば、日本人はこの島が我が国の地であると考えるだろう。’

    ‘どのくらい前に日本人達はやって来て住んでいるのか?いわゆる古老とは、何人いるのか?もし人を派遣するとすれば、何月のいつ頃波風が適当なのか?島へ行くには装備、物資はいかほどか?船は何艘必要か?”

    これらは、世宗が江原道監司の茂陵島開拓願に対する返答であるようです。しかし、王が“茂陵島の于山”ではなく、“茂陵島”と言っていることにお気づきでしょうか。王と監司は明らかに同じ場所について話しています。つまり、この“茂陵島”は単に于山の別名であるか、もしくは諸島グループを指す一般名なのでしょう。監司が前回は確実に“于山”の開拓を願い出ていた事を考えると、私は、おそらく後者の可能性が高いと思っています。

    これまでずっと韓国の歴史的文献を見てきましたが、今の所、茂陵島や于山島が独島の事を指している事を伺わせるようなものは何もありませんでした。それどころか、記録を見るとその地域には隣り合う2つの島があり、于山島がその二つのうち大きな島の方である事を知ることが出来ます。記録では、どちらの島にも植物があり、ある時期には住民がいた事が記述されています。

    では、一体韓国人は何処で于山島が独島を指していると言う考えを持ったのでしょう?実は、次に揚げる1454年の記録にその証拠がある、と彼等は主張しています。その記録とは、実際は江原道のある県にあたる、蔚珍県の様子を記述したものです。しかしながら、韓国人がこの記録を引用する時、彼等は蔚珍県の記述を全く省略してしまい、記録のうちたった1、2文だけを強調するのです。そこで、私はこの蔚珍県の記録の全文を載せようと思います。全体の文脈の中で問題の1,2文を読むことが、とても重用だと思うからです。

    “1454年 世宗実録「地理志」
    蔚珍県 監司(県知事)が1名いる。 高句麗時代の元の名称は于珍也県で新羅時代に現在の名称に変わり、郡になった。高麗時代には蔚珍県と呼ばれており、現王朝期も同じ名称でまだ呼ばれている。県の住民は、過去には半伊郡もしくは仙槎郞と呼ばれた、と言っている。

    藥師津は県南部にあり、骨長津は県北部にある。県境は、東は海岸までの8里、西は慶尙道安東任內小川県までの63里、南は平海までの37里、北は三陟までの32里である。270の池があり、人口は1430。軍隊は侍衛軍〈陸軍?〉が38人、水軍が70人、城の近衛軍が4人である。住民の名前は林、張、鄭、房、劉である。栄川から来た郷吏の閔と言う姓もある。土地の半分は肥沃であるが、残りは違う。漁労で生計を立てているが、皆とても武芸を崇敬している。1351結の土地を耕し、その3分の1は稲田である。その他、五穀, 桑、麻、柿、栗、梨、楮(こうぞ)などを生産している。貢物としては、蜂蜜、黃蠟、鐵、胡桃、石茸、五倍子、川椒、藿、漆、鹿脯、狐皮、狸皮、獐皮、虎皮、猪毛、大口魚、文魚、水魚、全鮑、紅蛤。薬草は、茯苓、當歸、前胡、白芨、五味子、人蔘がある。地場産物は61あり、篠竹、大きい竹と塩を含む。磁器の製作所が薪谷里の北方10里の所に、陶器の製作所は甘大里の北方12里の所にある。製品は余り質がよくない。皇山石城は周囲が徒歩616歩5尺で、時に村になっている。城内には泉が4つ、池が1つある。池は旱魃の厳しい時は干上がってしまうが、泉は決して涸れない。仇水亏勿山洞西部の興富駅北方44里のところに、温泉がある。駅は興富(古称は興府)・德神(古称は德新)・守山(古称は壽山)の3つである。狼煙を挙げる場所が4ヶ所あり、そのうち一つは平海沙冬山の南、竹津山の北の全反仁山にある。2つ目は竹津山で、竹邊串の北にある。3つ目は竹邊串で、亘出道山の北にある。最後は亘出道山で、三陟可谷山の北にある。

    県の西部の沖に于山、武陵という2つの島がある。これらの島々(と)の距離はさほど遠くなく、晴天で風のある日にはよく見える。新羅の時代には、于山國あるいは鬱陵島と呼ばれた。面積は100里である。

    大変険しい土地で、征服するのが難しいと思われたが、智證王十二年 (512 A.D.)に、異斯夫という者が何瑟羅州軍の長となり、こう言った。「于山人は無知で野蛮なので、武力で征服するのは困難である。そこで、知略を施さなければならない。」彼は恐ろしく獰猛そうな猛獣を木で作り、複数の軍の船に分載して島へ行き、住民へこう告げた。「もし服従しなければ、猛獣達を島へ放してお前達を食わせてしまうぞ。」島の住民は、恐れおののいて出てきて、服従した。

    高麗太祖十三年(930 A.D.)に、その島の住民は白吉と土豆を使いにして貢納した。〈ここを参照〈リンク〉)毅宗十三年には、審察使の金柔立たちが(島から)帰還しこう述べた。「島の中央に大きな山がある。頂から海岸までの距離は、東へ1万歩、西へ1万3千歩、南へ1万5千歩、北へ8千歩である。島には7つの村の跡がある。石仏像、鉄鐘、石塔もある。柴胡、蒿本、石南草が沢山自生している。

    我が太祖の時代(1392 ~1398 A.D.)に、多くの人が島へ逃げ込んだ、と伝えられる。三陟の住民である金麟雨が再び按撫使に任命されて島へ向かい、島の住民を強制的に退去させ、空島とした。金麟雨はこう報告している。「島の土地はとても肥沃で、竹は柱の如く太く、鼠は猫の如く大きい。桃の種は升のように大きい。その島の産物は、皆そんな具合である。」”

    この記録が、蔚珍県を比較の対照点としてそこから各地方〈村、軍駐屯地、名所〉の方角や距離を表しながら、蔚珍県とその周囲の様子を描いていることにお気づきでしょうか。于山島と武陵島についても次のようにその位置が述べられています。

    “県の西部の沖に于山、武陵という2つの島がある。これらの島々(と)の距離はさほど遠くなく、晴天で風のある日にはよく見える。新羅の時代には、于山國あるいは鬱陵島と呼ばれた。面積は100里である。”

    蔚珍県の周囲の他の場所について記述するとき、記録では方角と距離を里で表していますが、于山島と武陵島の場合、距離を里で示すかわりに、方角が示されてから、風のある晴れた日には目で見えるほど近くにある、と記述されています。

    韓国人が上掲の記録を見て、これは2島の間の距離を示していて、2島と蔚珍県の間の距離を示しているのではない、と言いますが、そう解釈した場合、この2島が何処にあるかが分からなくなってしまいます。蔚珍県の真東にあることだけは分かりますが、どのくらい東にあるのか、不明になってしまうのです。韓国側の解釈法では、日本海の反対側にあってもよいことにさえなってしまい、地理学的な本を読んでいるはずの読者に、甚だ分かりづらいものです。記録では、片方の島の大きさしか記載されておらず、そのことから、この2島が一つの島だと考えられるほど距離が近かった、と推測できるのです。思い出してください。“独島”は鬱陵島の東南92km沖にあるのですよ。

    1454年の記録に関する韓国側の解釈が記録全体の文脈のなかで説明になっていないだけでなく、全記録〈実録〉の中でもおかしな文章なのです。これ以前の記録のなかで、武陵島もしくは于山島のどちらにしても独島である事を示唆するものは存在しません。それどころか記録では、むしろ武陵島と于山島は隣り合う島で、名称の混乱が起こるほど近かった、ということを示唆しているのです。記録では、どちらの島にも、植生があったことが分かりますが、独島には植物が自生していません。また、記録では、どちらの島にも、人が住んでいたことが分かりますが、独島には土や水、その他の人間の定着に必要な資源が無いのです。武陵島と于山島はどちらの島も鬱陵島の面積を使って表されており、このこと自体もまた、名前の混乱が起こるほど近かった事を示しています。また、武陵島と于山島にはどちらも人が住んでいた、とありますが、独島はそれどころか土、水、その他の人が住むのに必要な資源が何も無いのです。

    もし、1454年の記録に関する韓国側の解釈が理解できる、と言う人がまだいるとすれば、次に揚げる1531年の新増東国興地勝覧の記録を、ぜひ見てみましょう。

    “1531年増補 新増東国興地勝覧
    于山島-鬱陵島 武陵や羽陵とも呼ばれるこれらの2島は、県の真東の沖にある。三つの峰が空に向かってそびえている。最も南の峰は、少し小さい。風があり、天気のよい日は峰の頂上の木々や麓の渚の砂浜がはっきりと見える。風のよい日は2日で到達する。于山と鬱陵は昔は面積100里の一つの島であった、と言われている。”

    上掲の記録で、「風があり、天気のよい日は峰の頂上の木々や麓の渚の砂浜がはっきりと見える。」とあることに気がつきましたか?このことから、この記録が独島のことを記述しているのでは無いことが分かります。独島には、木も砂浜もありませんから。2島に2日で到着する、と書かれていることにも注意して下さい。これは、この時代の鬱陵島への旅程と同じ日数です。独島へは、3日かかったはずです。

    下に揚げたのは、1710年の于山島と鬱陵島の地図で、本土から2島へ線が引かれています。

    地図3: 韓国の古地図(1710)からの抜粋

    2島に向かって引かれた線には、“2日の航程”と書かれています。つまり、これらの2島は互いに隣り合っている事を意味しています。もしもいずれかの島が独島であるなら、さらに1日かかるからです。おや、1710年では、韓国の地図ではまだ于山島が鬱陵島の西に描かれていますね。

    最後に、李朝朝鮮時代の韓国の人々が、鬱陵島から独島を眺めることが出来たのかどうか、ということを考えて見ましょう。何故それが難しいか、たくさん理由を挙げて説明する代わりに、とにかくこの“独島ビデオ”をご覧になる事をお勧めします。その中で、独島上空を飛行するヘリコプターから撮影された鬱陵島の写真が出てきます。たとえカメラがズームアウトしても,まだ水平線に鬱陵島が小さく写っています。それでは、今度は自分がヘリコプターに乗っていないと想像しながら、ビデオを見て下さい。鬱陵島を眺める代わりに、鬱陵島の429分の1の大きさの島を眺めていると想像して下さい。(自ずと答えは出るでしょう?)

    于山島はほぼ確実に、鬱陵島の東岸4km以内にある小さな島、竹嶼(竹島/Jukdo)です。これらの韓国の鬱陵島の地図は、はっきりと于山島が鬱陵島の隣接島であることを示しており、鬱陵島から92kmも離れている独島ではありません。

    于山島が独島では無い事を証明する韓国の地図〈リンク〉

  59. New Takeshima (Dokdo) Article in Japanese Newspaper » Occidentalism Says:

    [...] Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Part 1 [...]

  60. Desired Ground - Part Two « I, Shingen Says:

    [...] The Koreans attempt to trace their historical claims all the way back to 512 AD. Their claims are extensive and I have neither the inclination nor time to press into them, although readers should start here with Gerry at Occidentalism’s posts ‘Lies, Half-Truths, & Dokdo Video’. Gerry does a great job at debunking much of the noise. You will find the links to the other parts of that series of posts at the end of that post. [...]

  61. Dokdo Museum Head Admits Maps Show “Jukdo, not Dokdo” » Occidentalism Says:

    [...] Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Part 1 [...]

  62. Lies, Half-truths, & Dokdo Video, Part 8 » Occidentalism Says:

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  68. Lies, Half-truths, & Dokdo Video, Part 9 » Occidentalism Says:

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  70. Lies, Half-truths, & Dokdo Video, Part 11 · Occidentalism Says:

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  71. Lies, Half-truths, & Dokdo Video, Part 9 · Occidentalism Says:

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  72. Lies, Half-truths, & Dokdo Video, Part 12 · Occidentalism Says:

    [...] Maeil Sinbo, June 22, 1913 As the above article suggests, even Ulleungdo residents in 1903 had lost track of Usando, though there was a rumor that it was forty to fifty ri northeast of Ulleungdo. By 1913, Koreans on Ulleungdo almost certainly knew of Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo), yet they were still searching for Usando, which tells us that they did not believe Usando to be Liancourt Rocks. Of course, the reason they could not find Usando it that it was just an old, forgotten name for Ulleungdo’s neighboring island of Jukdo, the “Bamboo Island.” Rhee Syngman’s Land Grab and the Reappearance of Usando When the Japanese were defeated in 1945, Korean President Rhee Syngman saw an opportunity to grab some free Japanese land. He did not only try to claim Tsushima, which had been Japanese territory for untold centuries, he even tried to lay claim to an island that did not exist. When it became apparent that the Americans were not going to accept his claims for Tsushima and a non-existent island, Rhee decided to focus his attention on the Japanese island of Takeshima (Liancourt Rocks), which was officially incorporated into Japanese territory in 1905 and had appeared on Japanese maps for hundreds of years before that. However, Rhee had a problem. Korea had no maps or documents to support a claim on Liancourt Rocks. Therefore, Korea started claiming that the Usando on old Korean maps and in old Korean documents was actually Liancourt Rocks, in spite of the fact that the maps showed Usando to be a neighboring island of Ulleungdo, not Liancourt Rocks. The Koreans must have assumed that the Americans would just accept their claim without asking any questions or doing any research, given that the US had just fought a bitter war with Japan and would supposedly have no reason to support Japanese claims. However, the Americans did ask questions and did do research, and they decided that Liancourt Rocks belonged to Japan. In fact, here is what US Secretary of State Dean Rusk told the Korean ambassor to the US. As regards the island of Dokdo, otherwise known as Takeshima or Liancourt Rocks, this normally uninhabited rock formation was according to our information never treated as part of Korea and, since about 1905, has been under the jurisdiction of the Oki Islands Branch Office of Shimane Prefecture of Japan. The island does not appear to ever before to have been claimed by Korea. Realizing that the 1952 Peace Treaty would not give them Takeshima, Koreans decided to take it by illegally occupying the islets, and they are still there. “When the Treaty of Peace with Japan was being drafted, the Republic of Korea asserted its claims to Dokto 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.” Usando, the old name for Ulleungdo’s neighboring island of Jukdo, is now being used to support a ridiculous Korean territorial claim on Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo/Takeshima). I wonder how long it will take before Korean historians finally get the courage to stand up and tell the truth? Links to More Posts on Takeshima/Dokdo (With Japanese translations) Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Part 1  [...]

  73. jackryan Says:

    This is very interesting theory.
    I have a question that I would much like to be answered, if possible.

    If the Korean side is wrong in saying that “U-san do” is not the present-day “Dokdo” and in fact it is the present-day “Juk do”, what justifies the Japanese when they call the islet “Takeshima,” which means “Juk do,” which means bamboo. I think this contradicts your arguement.

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  75. Absurd claims - Korea Times | Occidentalism Says:

    [...] If the editors at the Korea Times want to know about Dokdo/Takeshima, they should check out Gerry Bevers’ informational site, Dokdo-or-Takeshima, or check out the extensive Takeshima/Dokdo writings that he was written here, linked below. Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Part 1 [...]

  76. Absurd claims - Korea Times | Occidentalism Says:

    [...] If the editors at the Korea Times want to know about Dokdo/Takeshima, they should check out Gerry Bevers’ informational site, Dokdo-or-Takeshima, or check out the extensive Takeshima/Dokdo writings that he was written here, linked below. Lies, Half-truths, and Dokdo Video, Part 1 [...]