Dokdo Island An 1870 Japanese Report Refered to Ulleungdo and Dokdo as Korean Territory

The Secret 1870 Japanese Report Regarding Chosun
(裼遇徭遇鹑嘭菥嵴)
"How Ulleungdo and Dokdo became Chosun Possessions"

Most websites regarding the Dokdo dispute include the 1870 Secret Mission Report about how Ulleungdo and Dokdo became Chosun's possessions. However, most of them post only the relevant passage shown below. But the report was more than just proof the Ulleungdo and Dokdo were the possessions of Chosun. This secret report and its motivation for being instigated, gives us an inside look into the real intentions of the Japanese government during Chosun's Opening of Ports Era.

During the formative years of the Meiji Government Japan actively began to develop new diplomatic relations with Chosun. This first diplomatic mission included Moriyama Sigeru, Sada Hakubo and Saito Ei. This mission was to gather information for a few purposes such as 1. Finding out why the relationship between Japan and Chosun has deteriorated 2. Discontinue Tsushima’s payment of tributes to Chosun. 3. Investigate Chosun’s relationship with China. 4. Sending warships to Busan when the emperor dispatches his emissary to Chosun. 5. Find out if Chosun is being influenced by shrewd Russian diplomats. 6. Find out the strengths and weaknesses of the Chosun’s weaponry and navy. 7. Verify intelligence concerning the political situation of the Korean king and members of the Chosun court. 8. Potential trade with Chosun. 9. Investigate the customs and systems of Chosun.

The boxed text on the right images has the passage 裼遇徭遇鹑嘭菥嵴 translated this means "How Ulleungdo and Dokdo became Chosun's Possessions." It then gives a brief historical overview of the islands.

A typical Japanese map of the mid-19th Century showing Ulleungdo ( 裼遇 ) and Dokdo (徭遇) (click)

Analysis of the Document

It is interesting that these instructions indicate the ambition and assertiveness of the Japanese politicians of the day. We can see the report is made from an unfriendly point of view. So what did the study mission report to the Foreign Ministry? The officials stayed in Korea from February 22, 1870 through early March and made their report in April. First the report states that Chosun does not maintain a tributary relationship with Japan. Second, Tsushima is apparently a vassal in the Korean system and has received copper seals (tosa, tosho) from Korea. Third regarding the question of China the Japanese mission reports that Chosun is operating independently of China.

At the end of the report there is a detailed history of the annexation of Ulleungdo and Dokdo by Chosun it states. 裼遇徭遇鹑嘭菥嵴 "How Takeshima (Ulleungdo) and Matsushima (Dokdo) became Korean Possessions:
Matsushima (Dokdo) is a neighbor island of Takeshima (Ulleungdo) and there is no document on file by the shogunate concerning this (these) island(s). 2. The island of Takeshima (Ulleungdo) was settled by the Korean people after the 1690s (During the reign of King Sukjong) but it now has become uninhabited....."

In addition, this report contained detailed plans for an attack on Chosun. The instructions called for an elaborate invasion of 30 battalions with the main force to land on Kangwha Island and to strike directly at Seoul. Subsiduary forces were to move South through the provinces of Kyongsan, Cholla and Chungchong and North through Hamyong, Pyongan and Hwanghae. Once these forces converged on Seoul, the Korean government was sure to collapse if the Chinese were to intervene the Japanese forces could handle them easily. The whole operation Sada Hokubo concluded would take about 50 days. Sada Hokubo wrote "If Imperial Japan passes this great opportunity to the foreigners, we will lose our lips (ie Korea) and then our teeth will surely suffer from the cold"......"Korea is a gold mine and wheat and rice are abundant. With one sweep we can mobilize the manpower, the mineral resources and the grain in Korea and use them in Hokkaido....."

This document foreshadows the Japanese attack on Kangwha Island on September 20, 1875. The intrusion would set the wheels in motion for a series of unfair treaties and the gradual occupation of Korea.

Mapping Errors and the 1870 Chosun Report

With the mapping errors that occurred during this era some Japanese now assert that this document refers to other islands but this is not plausible. First historical reference confirms the (裼遇) island in the paper is Ulleungdo and that Songdo (徭遇) is a neighbour island of Ulleungdo.

The map on the upper right of this text shows Ulleungdo mapped in a more westerly position, and the island is labelled as "Japanese name Takeshima, Korean name Ulleungdo" This illustrates dispite the mapping location error, the identities of the islands on these maps were still the same.

1870 Japanese Maps of Ulleungdo and Dokdo

The three maps surrounding this text are from an 1870 Report on Takeshima made at the same time as the Report on Chosun. The two maps above show Takeshima (Ulleungdo) and her nieghbour island Matsushima (Dokdo). Accompanying this report was a map of Ulleungdo. All of Ulleungdo's adjacent smaller islands are included and labelled yet there is no other island drawn as "Matsushima". Thus it can be confirmed that Ulleungdo's nieghbour island in the 1870 Report on Chosun was indeed Matsushima/Dokdo.

Below are some other Japanese maps of Ulleungdo. None of these maps show any of Ulleungdo's minor islets labelled as Matsushima. Assertions made by Japanese Takeshima lobbyists that claim Matsushima Island was Jukdo Islet or another islet next to Ulleungdo can be dismissed as false.

The above image is an 1883 Japanese map of Ulleungdo. Note all islands around Ulleungdo are labelled as Jukdo Islet and Dohang in the same manner as Koreans records show such as in Lee Gyuwon's report. There is no "neighbour island" called Matsushima as Takeshima lobbyists claim. It's clear the 1870 Report on Chosun declared both Ulleungdo and Dokdo as part of Chosun (Korea)

This undated map of Ulleungdo also showed both Jukdo Islet and Gwaneumdo but no "Matsushima Island"

The 1870 Report on Chosun
A Conclusion Based on the Evidence

The 1870 Report on Chosun strongly damages Japan's claim to Dokdo despite flimsy attempts by Takeshima lobbyists to dismiss this clear evidence of Japanese acquiesence of the island. There is no evidence to support Japanese claims that the Foreign Ministry was referencing incorrect maps or was referring to another fictitious Matsushima when they issued this report.

Here in this historical document its clear proof that Japan recognized Dokdo along with Ulleungdo as territories of Chosun. Japan used the expression "how Uleungdo and Dokdo became possessions of Chosun". It is also clear that Japan believed Dokdo was associated with Ulleungdo and that there was an agreement during the 1690s which affirmed the two islands belonged to Chosun.

Text cited in part by The Japanese Perception of Dokdo During the Opening of Ports by Myung Chul Hyun