Why Dokdo matters to Korea

대한제국 칙령 제41호 공포 121주년 ’독도의 날’... “독도 관련 지식 넓혀야“ A hundred- and-21 years ago... Emperor Gojong... officially declared Dokdo as territory of the Korean Empire. Despite piles of historical evidence, false claims from the Japanese government keep cropping up.. Choi Won-jong sheds light on what the easternmost islets truly means to the nation. Dokdo... South Korea’s easternmost point... is known for its beauty. But it wasn’t easy to get there. First, on the three-hour voyage to Ulleungdo Island,... we faced high waves and seasickness. Then, on the second leg, the boat to Dokdo had to be rescheduled due to stormy weather. Trying again the next morning,... it was clear, and to celebrate Dokdo Day... passengers were waving and... even wearing... Korean flags from head to toe. “My birthday falls on October 25th... Dokdo Day... I came here three years ago but we couldn’t get off the boat due to the weather. I’m so glad we will get to see Dokdo in the best weather this time. The final part of the journey to Dokdo... is on a high-speed ferry a bumpy ride for two hours. Thankfully, though, the sea was calm enough to dock and get off. Dokdo is Korean territory, but Japan started claiming it, falsely, in 1905... under Japanese colonial it repeats those claims to this day,... even calling Dokdo Japanese territory in school textbooks. But why is Dokdo so important? Not only is it strategically located from a military standpoint,... it also has a large amount of fish, minerals and methane gas. It’s also a matter of security for Korea as an independent country. A Japanese professor who was recently naturalized as South Korean. “Under the premise that Dokdo were to become Japanese territory, then in that hypothetical situation, about 200 nautical miles would become Japan’s territorial waters. Fairly large areas around Dokdo would belong to the Japanese government, which is a very dangerous argument that could pressure the Korean government in many different ways.“ But history knows the truth. Written records in both Korea and Japan, going back hundreds and hundreds of years... document Dokdo as Korean territory. On October 25th,... 1900... Emperor Gojong ... strengthened Korea’s sovereignty over Dokdo with Imperial Ordinance No. 41, which states the islands are under Korean jurisdiction. After Korea was liberated from Japan in 1945,... the map... issued the following year by the Allied powers... shows that Ulleungdo Island and Dokdo had been returned from Japan... to Korea. Experts say it’s important to spread awareness of Dokdo in Korean society and beyond. “Japan is continuously claiming that Dokdo belongs to them. It is important to promote Korean sovereignty over Dokdo both nationally and internationally... and to inform the people of Korea how to argue back at the distorted claims.“ The weather means it’s only possible to visit Dokdo about 60 days a year, but people say the trip is a civic duty. “This is our territory and that’s why it’s important for us to protect it. It could be dangerous for us later if we don’t pay attention to Dokdo. I think the younger you are, the more you should learn and pay attention to it.“ “However, the most important duty remains… that we must continue our efforts to learn about Dokdo… that it is Korean territory historically, geographically, and internationally. Dokdo is our territory, . Choi Won-jong, Arirang News. Dokdo, Korea.“ #SouthKorea #Dokdo #government 📣 Arirang News(Facebook) : 📣 Arirang News(Twitter) : 📣 News Center(YouTube) : 2021-10-29, 22:00 (KST)