2007 Mar 19 - Dokdo Museum Director Admits Usando (于山島) on Korean Maps Ulleungdo's "Jukdo, not Dokdo"

In the March 3, 2007 article below, the online version of the Korean newspaper Daegu Ilbo reported that Dokdo Museum Director Lee Seung-jin confirmed that the island labeled "Usando" (于山島 - 우산도) on three Korean antique maps appearing in this post was Ulleungdo's neighboring island of "Jukdo" (竹島 - 죽도), which is about 2 kilometers off Ulleungdo's east shore. He added that it was not "Dokdo" (獨島 - 독도), which is about 90 kilometers to the southeast of Ulleungdo. "Dokdo" is the Korean name for Liancourt Rocks, which the Japanese refer to as "Takeshima" (竹島).

The Korean name for Ulleungdo's neighboring island of "Jukdo" (竹島) and the Japanese name for Liancourt Rocks, "Takeshima" (竹島) both use the same Chinese characters, which has caused some to confuse the Korean island of Jukdo with the Japanese island of Takeshima.

However, in spite of admitting that the Usando (于山島) on the Korean maps was Ulleungdo's neighboring island of Jukdo, the Dokdo Museum Director claimed "the Japanese were trying to cover up their forced claims" by showing closeups of the island on maps instead of the full map, which would not have shown any detail in the newspaper article. He also still claimed that Usando was one of the old Korean names for Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo), though he provided no evidence to support the claim.

The map above is Ulleungdo Inspector Bak Seok-chang's 1711 inspection map of Ulleungdo (鬱陵島圖形). The two maps below, respectively, are Kim Jong-ho's 1834 map of Ulleungdo from his atlas "Cheonggudo" (靑邱圖) and a cut-out from the Gangwon Province (江原道) map from the 1789-1795 Korean atlas  "Yeojido (輿地圖). These three maps are the maps that the head of Korea's Dokdo Museum on Ulleungdo said showed Ulleungdo's neighboring island of Jukdo (2km offshore) labeled as "Usando" (于山島 - 우산도). He added it was not "Dokdo" (獨島 - 독도), which is the Korean name for Liancourt Rocks, about 90 kilometers southeast of Ulleungdo.

The reason I am reposting this article is that the link I posted to the Korean newspaper article online is, for some reason, no longer working. Fortunately, I had saved a screenshot of it.

Dokdo Museum Head: "It's just Jukdo"

Japanese Media “Discovery of Old Map Refutes Dokdo Territorial Claims”

Japan’s Kyoto News Agency and Tottori Prefecture’s “San-in Chuo Simpo” have recently reported, “Old Korean maps have been discovered that refute Korea’s territorial claims on Dokdo.” The “San-in Chuo Simpo” reported on its Web site on the 22nd of last month that American Gerry Bevers (51), who works as an English professor at a college in Seoul and studies the Dokdo problem, had contributed old maps that refuted Korea’s territorial claims on Dokdo. 

The contributed data were pictures of three old maps of Ulleungdo that are stored in Seoul National University’s “Gyujanggak” museum. When contributing the old maps, Mr. Bevers said, “Dokdo was not written on any Korean documents or maps before the Japan government incorporated Takeshima in 1905.” He added, “The Korean side claims that the old name for Dokdo on old maps and in old documents was ‘Usanguk.’” 

Takashi Tsukamoto, advisor at Japan’s National Diet Library, claimed, “This is a new discovery that only someone living in Korea can research.” He added, “Especially, the map with the writing “haejang bamboo fields” is enough proof to show that ‘Usan’ was not Dokdo.” 

Concerning this, the Northeast Asian History Foundation submitted a statement that refuted the claims item by item. 

The Northeast Asian History Foundation said, “The contents of the maps indicated are all known by both domestic and Japanese scholars, but by saying that the date of the map is unknown and by showing only part of the maps, the Japanese side is scheming to make it seem as if the maps were newly discovered. 

Dokdo Museum Director Lee Seung-jin said, “After confirming the three old maps, it is obvious to anyone that they showed Jukdo, not Dokdo; and even in our country’s academic circles, it is judged to be Jukdo. By not showing the complete map and by showing only an enlarged section, they are trying to cover up their forced claims.” 

In our country, Dokdo has been called “Usando” (于山島, 1432) – “Sambongdo” (三峰島, 1476) – “Jasando” (子山島, 1696) – “Seokdo” (石島, Korean Imperial Edict 41), and Dokdo (獨島, 1904). 

Ulleung = Reporter Lee Jae-hun ljh@idaegu.com