Assimilating Dokdo: The Islets in Korean Everyday Life

Laura Whitefleet-Smith,Brandon Palmer

doi:10.16995/ane.111

Abstract

<p class="p1">Sovereignty over the Tokto Islets is heatedly contested between South Korea and Japan. The Korean government and citizenry have responded to this dispute by inserting the islets into their national collective memory in multifarious ways in an attempt to strengthen their nation’s claim to Tokto. The islets are included in the material culture and public memory of the nation in ways that make them part of everyday life for millions of Koreans. Korea’s claim to Tokto is currently taught in schools, presented in museums, found in popular songs, and exploited by businesses for profit. The deeper Tokto becomes entrenched in Korean society, the less likely a compromise can be reached with Japan over the islets.

Highlights

Digital Preservation: The Open Library of Humanities and all its journals are digitally preserved in the CLOCKSS scholarly archive service
The islets are included in the material culture and public memory of the nation in ways that make them part of everyday life for millions of Koreans
The deeper Tokto becomes entrenched in Korean society, the less likely a compromise can be reached with Japan over the islets

Summary

Historical Origins of the Dispute

The history of Korea’s relationship with Japan is central to understanding the territorial dispute. The Japanese assert that there is insufficient evidence to prove that Korea occupied Tokto previous to 1905, and that Tokto was terra nullius when Japan claimed the islet as its own Based on this position, Japan includes Tokto as part of its sovereign territory, defending Tokto’s inclusion in its annual defense white paper since 2005. An employee of the Northeast Asian History Foundation (NEAHF), a governmentfunded think tank, in an interview with the authors, explained that Tokto deserved special status because it has been Korean territory for over 1,000 years He noted that, for Koreans, it is a symbol of their nation since the islets were the “first victim of colonization in 1905” when Japan laid claim to them before the occupation of Korea. Koreans deny having any strategic interest in the islets as a military base, or in the economic potential of the oceanic resources surrounding the islets (Kim and Cho 2011, 431–5)

Government Activities to Promote Tokto

Private Efforts to Promote Tokto

Significance of the Tokto Dispute

Authors Information