Q1: Has Dokdo been a part of Korea since the sixth century?

Answer: Koreans claim that Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo) has been a part of Korean territory since the time of the Silla Kingdom (512 A.D.), but Korea has no maps or documents to back up the claim. They say, however, that they do have evidence and, as one example, they point to Korea's Samguk Sagi (三國史記: "History of the Three Kingdoms"), which was written in 1145 A.D.

In the Samguk Sagi, a reference was made to an island due east of "Myeongju" (present-day Gangeung) named "Usanguk" (于山國 - 우산국). Koreans claim that Usanguk was referring to both Ulleungdo and Dokdo (Liancourt Rocks); however, though Ulleungdo was mentioned as another name for Usanguk, nothing was mentioned about Dokdo (Liancourt Rocks), by any name. In fact, the text gives the bearing and area for only one island.

The map to the left comes from an atlas made in the 1600s entitled, "Old Maps of China & Joseon" (支那朝鮮古地圖 - 지나조선고지도), which is stored in the National Library of Korea (國立中央圖書館 - 국립중앙도서관). The title of the map is "Map of the Original Regions of Silla, Goguryo, and Baekje" (新羅高勾麗百濟肇造區域之圖 - 신라고구려백제조조구역지도). The map shows a single island off the east coast of Korea labeled as "Usanguk - now Ulleungdo" (羽山國 今 鬱陵島 - 우산국, 지금 울릉도). This map is more evidence that Usanguk was considered to be just one island, not two.

Though later in the Joseon Dynasty, Koreans would discover that Ulleungdo had a neighboring island about 2.2 kilometers off its east shore, which today is called "Jukdo" (竹島), there is no evidence that Dokdo (Liancourt Rocks), which is ninety-two kilometers southeast of Ulleungdo, was ever considered a part of Usanguk, Ulleungdo, or any part of Korean. In fact, Korea has no old maps of Liancourt Rocks under any name and has no documents showing that Koreans ever went there before Japanese fishing boats starting carrying Korean fishermen there in the early 1900s. The Korean claim simply has no evidence to support it.

The follow is a quote from a document on the Korean Embassy Web site entitled "Dokdo: Korean Territory Since the Sixth Century" - PDF or HTML, which claims that Dokdo (Liancourt Rocks) has been a part of Korean territory since the sixth century.

Korean Claim

1. When Did Dokdo Become a Part of Korean Territory?

Korean title to Dokdo dates back to the 6th century. According to the records of Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms), Korean sovereignty over the island was established with the incorporation of Usanguk (“guk” means “state”) into the Kingdom of Silla, one of the three ancient kingdoms of Korea, in 512 A.D. Samguk Sagi records that in 512 A.D., Yi Sa-bu, a Silla government official, subjugated the island state on behalf of Silla. The territory of Usanguk comprised the islands of Ulleungdo and Usando (present-day Dokdo)....

1. 언제 독도는 한국의 영토가 되었는가?

독도가 대한민국 고유의 영토라는 근거는 서기 6세기로 거슬러 올라간다. 독도에 관한 최초의 기록은 서기 512년에 신라의 이사부가 나무로 만든 사자를 이용한 계교로써 우산국을 정복하였다는 삼국사기의기록이다. 당시 우산국의 영토는 울릉도 본 섬과 그 부속도서인 독도 등으로 구성되어 있었으며, 동해에 울릉도와 독도 두 개의 섬이 존재하고 있다는 우리 조상들의 지리적 인식은 그 후 조선시대에 간행된 세종실록지리지(1454)와 동국여지승람(1531)에도 잘 나와 있다. 특히 이 두 개의 책에 수록된 팔도총도와 강원도 지도에는 독도가 조선의강원도에 속하는 섬임이 명확하게 표시되어있다.

The Truth

Let's look at what was actually written in Korea's Samguk Sagi.

Here is the section from the "Silla Bongi" (新羅本記 - 신라본기) in Volume 4 (券4) of the Samguk Sagi (三國史記 - 삼국사기) that Koreans claim proves that Dokdo has been Korean territory since the sixth century:

十三年 夏六月 于山國歸服 歲以土宜爲貢 于山國在溟州正東海島 或名鬱陵島 地方一百里 恃嶮不服 伊飡 異斯夫 爲何瑟羅州 軍主 謂 “于山人愚悍 難以威來 可以計服” 乃多造木偶師子 分載戰船 抵 其國海岸 誑告曰 “汝若不服 則放此猛獸踏殺之” 國人恐懼 則降

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In May in the summer of the 13th year (512 A.D.), Usan-guk surrendered and began paying annual tributes in local products. Usan-guk is an island in the sea due east of Myeongju [present-day Kangneung]. It is also called Ulleungdo. It has an area of 100 ri. The land was believed to be too rugged to conquer.

When government official Lee Sa-bu became commander of Haseullaju, he said, “The people of Usan-guk are ignorant and savage and would be difficult to subdue by force, but we can use cunning.” Then he made many wooden lion figures, divided them up, and loaded them on warships. On the shore of the country, he deceitfully said, “If you do not surrender, we will release these ferocious animals and you will be trampled to death. The country’s people became so frightened that they immediately surrendered.

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13년(512) 여름 5월에 우산국(于山國)이 항복하여 해마다 토산물을 바쳤다. 우산국은 명주(溟州)의 정동쪽 바다에 있는 섬으로 혹은 울릉도(鬱陵島)라고도 한다. 땅은 사방 100리 인데, 지세가 험한 것을 믿고 항복하지 않았다. 이찬 이사부(異斯夫)가 하슬라주(何瑟羅州) 군주가 되어 말하기를 “우산국 사람은 어리석고도 사나워서 힘으로 복속시키기는 어려우나 꾀로는 복속시킬 수 있다.”하고, 이에 나무 사자를 많이 만들어 전함에 나누어 싣고 그 나라 해안에 이르러 거짓으로 “너희가 만약 항복하지 않으면 이 사나운 짐승을 풀어 밟아 죽이겠다.”고 말하자 그 나라 사람들이 두려워 곧 항복하였다.

As you can see from the above translation, nothing was said about Dokdo or Liancourt Rocks under any name. It only said that Usanguk was due east of Myeongju, which was a village on the east coast of Korea that is presently called Gangneung, and that Ulleungdo was another name for Usanguk. This proves false the Korean claim that the Samguk Saji supports Korea's claim to Dokdo.

The following is a scan of the relevant page from the Samguk Sagi (三國史記 - 삼국사기).