1947 - Roh Do-yang "National Geographic Student Atlas for Middle School” excluded Takeshima/Dokdo from Korea

left : "National Geographic Student Atlas for Middle School(中等國土地理附圖)”（文友社 、1947）

The “Map of Korea” in this supplementary atlas for Middle school student, made by the geographer/editorial officer of the Ministry of Education, clearly excludes Takeshima/Dokdo from its territory.

Although a map itself doesn’t stand as a concrete evidence for territorial dispute unless there is clear indication of territorial border, this Korean textbook made by the editorial official of the Ministry of Education gives a heavy blow on Korea’s territorial claim. In fact, today’s Korean maps never drops Dokdo off from its map of Korea, and pro-Korean propaganda sites list up many old Japanese maps, which lack Takeshima, to claim Japan didn’t recognize Takeshima as its territory.

Korean claim “Dokdo was the first victim of the Japanese aggression upon Korea. Dokdo has come back to our bosom with our liberation. Dokdo is the symbol of Korean independence.” However, as it was already revealed, Korean, except the residents of Ulleungdo, immediately after liberation didn’t even know about Takeshima/Dokdo and believed the easternmost of their country is Ulleungdo’s Jukdo until April 1947, the time when Japanese from Sakaiminato came to Takeshima and claimed that the island is Japan’s. This textbook atlas is an another concrete evidence to support Japanese claim that Korea’s recent blind belief about Takeshima/Dokdo is just an ex post facto explanation hammered out afterwards.

As this map and other Korean maps published until 1947 shows, Korean didn’t recognize Takeshima/Dokdo as their territory at the year of 1947. In the summer of 1947, Korean found Takeshima/Dokdo and started aggressions upon Takeshima, the inherent territory of Japan. However, there is no single Korean documents/maps that shows Korean owned the island before 1905, the year Japan officially incorporated it into Shimane prefecture.

Prof. Roh Do-yang(盧道陽, 1909-2004) is a Korean geographer. According to Songdo(松都) High School HP, he graduated from Komazawa(駒澤) University, Tokyo, Japan and taught at Songdo High School. He once served the Ministry of Education as a editorial officer(文教部編修官) after 1945. He was a founder/fist chairman of Korean Geographical Society（大韓地理学会） and a emeritus professor of Hoseo University(湖西大).



Reference;

1899 - Korean Map: "Daehanjeondo" (大韓全圖) (玄采 大韓地誌)

1901 - "Daehanjiji" (大韓地誌) Map of Korea's Gangwon Province (玄采)

1906 - "Daehan Jiji" (大韓地誌) by Hyeon Chae (玄采)

1907 - "Chodeung Daehan Jiji" (初等大韓地誌)

1907 June - "Sinpyeon Daehan Jiri" (新編 大韓地理)

1907 - Daehan Shinjiji Attached Maps (大韓新地志附地圖)

1922 - "Map of Daehanminguk" (대한민국 디도) (大韓民国図)

after 1945 - "Geography for Middle School(中等地理)" by the Association of Gyeongbuk Geographers(慶北地理學會) admits Dokdo is outside of the territory of Korea