Zone #5
Japan’s illegal occupation of Dokdo Island
In Zone #5, visitors can learn how Japan illegally occupied Dokdo, and exactly why Japan has no rightful claim over the Island.
- Historically, Japan recognized Dokdo as the sovereign territory of Joseon. But then, it suddenly annexed the Island, which had great military and economic value, illegally.
- Japan’s Meiji government ordered its Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secretly spy on Joseon in 1869, laying the groundwork for a full invasion of Joseon. Three officials from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs who spied on Joseon submitted a report titled “The Secret Investigation Report on Chosun.” The report described the circumstances in which Dokdo and Ulleungdo became part of Joseon’s sovereign territory. In other words, it is clear evidence showing that Japan itself recognized Dokdo as Korean territory.
- When the Russo-Japanese War concluded in 1904, Japan learned how important Dokdo can be militarily, and prepared for its illegal annexation. The following year, in 1905, Dokdo was illegally annexed by Japan with the “Shimane Prefectural Notice No. 40.” This Notice was written by the local Prefecture rather than the central government, and was merely a circular notice (no publication in any of Japan’s official newsletters or media outlets). Also, the Shimane Prefecture and Japanese government failed to officially notify the Korean Empire of its annexation of the Island. Currently, this Notice is not publicly accessible, and its whereabouts is unclear. Some have claimed that it was lost in a fire.
Zone #5
Click on the image to enlarge.
