Takeshima or Dokdo ? (1)

(Following the previous post) Incidentally, Takeshima, the Japanese island called “Dokdo” and illegally occupied by Koreans, lies in the “Sea of Japan”. Takeshima officially became Japanese territory in February 1905, after the Government confirmed that it was not owned by anybody.   

In the final draft of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, which was signed by Japan and 48 allied nations on Sept 8, 1951, the Allies omitted Takeshima (Dokdo) from the list of the islands Japan should renounce and determined that the island should remain under Japanese sovereignty.   

In 1951, when then South Korean Ambassador to the US requested that Dokdo should be added to the list, Dean Rusk, then US Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs rejected the request replying that the island had never been treated as part of Korea.

However, Syngman Rhee, the first President of South Korea ignored this international determination by the Allies, and laid a boundary line called “Syngman Rhee Line” without any international agreement and started occupying Dokdo illegally from 1952. Conveniently, South Korea has been teaching its young children to firmly make them believe that “Dokdo is Korea Land”.

There seems to be a link between the motivation to change the name “Sea of Japan” and Takeshima.

More Info:

• The video “Do you know the reason why Dokdo is Not Korea Land?” explains this issue based on the historical evidence.