February 22nd, 2008 Japanese Professor Unveils 1894 Japanese Map Showing Dokdo As Korean Territory

The Historical Facts of the Dokdo- Takeshima Island Dispute

On February 22, 2008 (Shimane Prefecture¡¯s Takeshima Day) Japanese Professor Hosaka Yuji held a press conference to unveil some newly uncovered maps of Korea from the 19th Century. It has been long known Japanese maps consistently excluded Matsushima (Dokdo) from Japan¡¯s territory. (links 1 2 3 4 5 6) However, over the last few years more maps have surfaced that go a step further and show Takeshima (Ulleungdo) and Matsushima (Dokdo) as Korean territory. These maps strongly support Korea¡¯s claim to the island.

February 22nd 2008, Professor Hosaka Yuji holds a press conference to present some 19th Century Japanese maps that clearly show Dokdo~Takeshima as Korean territory.

With some of Japan¡¯s 19th Century maps showing incorrect island positions many Japanese historians had dismissed these charts as showing fictitious ¡°Argonaut Island¡± and Ulleungdo. However the maps displayed by Professor Hosaka showed both Ulleungdo and Dokdo in accurate positions relative to the Korean peninsula. In addition, both islands are colored the same yellow as Korea. Both China and Japan are left uncolored leaving little doubt that the Japanese responsible for the map considered both Ulleungdo and Dokdo as Chosun territory in the year 1894. The 52-year-old Professor of Sejong University in Seoul found these charts at a library in Japan in early February of 2008 and decided to unveil them on Shimane Prefecture¡¯s Takeshima Day. Professor Hosaka asserts ¡°..These maps show that late in the 19th Century, Japan considered Ulleungdo and Dokdo as Chosun territory..."

A close-up image of the 1894 map showing the Korean coast with Ulleungdo~Dokdo. (click)

A close-up image of the 1894 map showing Ulleungdo and Dokdo (click image)

Professor Hosaka graduated from the Engineering Program at Tokyo University. He came to Korea in 1988 and the next year studied Political Diplomacy at Goryo University. He began to show interest in the Dokdo problem in the mid-90s when the dispute escalated. Congratulations on the great historical map discovery Professor Hosaka, and keep up the good work!