San-in Chuo Shimpo: "Usando (于山島) = Jukdo (竹嶼), Documented for the First Time"

The following is a translation of a January 19 article from the Japanese newspaper, "San-in Chou Shimpo":

"Usando (于山島) = Jukdo (竹嶼), Documented for the First Time"

An old Joseon Dynasty document has been found that shows that Usando was the old name for Jukdo (竹嶼 in Japanese or 竹島 in Korean), which is an island off the northeast shore of present-day Ulleungdo. South Korea has claimed that Usando was Takeshima (Dokdo in Korean), the sovereignty of which is claimed by both Korea and Japan. The Takeshima Research Center of Shimane Prefecture has used old maps to claim, "Usando was not Takeshima/Dokdo but Jukdo," but this is the first time a document has been found to prove the claim.

The document comes from the "Ilseongrok (日省錄) ", which was a Korean record of daily affairs of state from 1760 to 1910. American Gerry Bevers (52), who researches the Takeshima/Dokdo issue in South Korea, introduced the document on the Internet.

In an 1807 report in the "Ilseongrok (日省錄), a Korean government official, who surveyed Ulleungdo, described Usando as being to the north of the island and having a circumference of two to three Korean ri (里), which was 800 to 1200 meters (北有于山島周回為二三里許). Jukdo is the only island around Ulleungdo with such a large circumference.

Jukdo is off the northeast shore of Ulleungdo and reaches almost 700 meters from north to south. In contrast, Takeshima/Dokdo is located ninety-two kilomethers southeast southeast of Ulleungdo. Mr. Bevers concluded, "At any rate, this 1807 report says that Usando was a neighboring island of Ulleungdo."

Professor Masao Shimojo of Takushoku University, who served as the chairman of the Takeshima Issue Society, evaluated the document by saying, "Though old maps had already made it clear that Usando was not Takeshima/Dokdo but Jukdo, the document is meaningful because it corroborates the maps." South Korea researchers had been refuting the claims of the Takeshima Research Center of Shimane Prefecture by saying, "More value should be put on documents than maps." Professor Shimojo quoted the Korean refutation and then said, "The opinion of the Takeshima Research Center been proven to be correct."