1939 Jpn textbook shows Liancourt Rocks as Korean?

Below is a video from an MBC News broadcast that claims that a professor emeritus at Korea's Gyeongsang National University in Jinju has a 1939 Japanese-government textbook showing Liancourt Rocks as Korean territory. The professor says that because the rocks are outlined in the same color as the Korean peninsula, this textbook should end the argument about whose territory "Dokdo" is. The news announcer also claims that it is more evidence that Japanese claims on Liancourt Rocks are fabrication.



Let's ignore, for a moment, the fact that Japanese documents clearly prove that Liancourt Rocks were incorporated into Japanese territory in 1905, which means that even if the Liancourt Rocks on this 1939 primary school textbook map were shown to be Korean territory, it would have been an obvious error. Also, let's ignore the fact that the map clearly shows the rocks labeled with the Japanese name of Takeshima (竹島), instead of Dokdo (獨島). Instead, let's focus on how MBC NEWS seems to have enhanced the map to try to prove the Korean claim.

The following is a screenshot of the MBC News video at 29 seconds into the video. Notice how the Korean peninsula, Ulleungdo, and Liancourt Rocks (Takeshima - 竹島) are outlined in heavy bluish purple, but Tsushima (對馬島) and the Japanese mainland do not really seem to be outlined.


Now look at a sreenshot at 31 seconds into the video. Notice how the Japanese mainland and Tsushima have suddenly been outlined in bright orange? MBC News obviously added the orange outline to Japan.


Now, look at the following screenshop at 1:29 into the video. Notice that the Korean mainland, Ulleungdo, and Liancourt Rocks are no longer outlined in heavy bluish purple? It seems that MBC News forgot to add the outline to this photo of the map. This is more evidence that MBC News enhanced the video.


Finally, the following is a closeup of the map from another source. Notice how Ulleungdo (鬱陵島) and Liancourt Rocks (Takeshima - 竹島) do seem to have a tinge of blue on one fringe, but was that intentional or was it just bleeding from the blue lines used to indicate the water? For example, notice that there also appears to be some bleeding of blue around some of the Chinese characters on the map.



I am not sure if the map meant to show Liancourt Rocks as Korean territory or not, but if it did mean to show the rocks as Korean territory, then it was clearly an error since documents clearly prove that Japan incorporated Liancourt Rocks in 1905 and changed their name to Takeshima (竹島).

I think it was pretty silly for the Korean professor to suggest that this map should end the Dokdo-Takeshima debate. I also think it was deceitful of MBC News to alter the map to try to make their argument.