Busan is good

Busan Modern History Museum Dokdo Photo Exhibition

Contents

1905 Shimane Prefecture, Japan insisted that Dokdo be their territory. One hundred years later Japan maintains the same unreasonable insist. This might be their strategy in their own way. We need to take time to know what Dokdo is like at these times. Busan Modern History Museum holds photo exhibition with a theme of "Our Land Dokdo". The Exibition is held from April 12th and they display various maps of Dokdo and 30 photos that only can be seen at Dokdo museum until now. These materials show that Dokdo belongs to Korea by historical data of Korea and Japan.

Dokdo was drawn in the west of Ulleungdo(former Usando) on the map called Paldo Chongdo, and the separate map for Gangwondo, at the beginning of "Sinjeung Dongguk Yeojiseungnam" produced in 1530. This is the oldest map that represented Dokdo on the map as Korean territory. Known as the first Korean map conveyed to the West, Joseon Jeondo, drawn according to modern drawing methods in 1845, shows Dokdo and Ulleungdo exactly as Korean territory.

The evidences that Dokdo is Korean land were found in Japanese maps more often. During Japanese invasion in 1592 at the year of Imjin, by the order of Japanese commander Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Joseonguk Jirido, the Map of Korea, produced. That is the first Japanese map that Ulleungdo and Dokdo were represented with Korean names. Japanese scholar Hayashi Sihei made a map called "Samguk Jeobyang Jido", which is military map made in 1785. The map says like following, next to Ulleungdo and Dokdo, they belong to Joseon.

Japanese navy made the map of east coast of Joseon called "Joseon Dong Haean Do" in 1876 based on Russian map. The map "Joseon Yeo Jido" in 1894 that Kim Ok Gyun brought to Japan when he went to Japan as an exile says that Dokdo is evidently Korean land.

In 1905 Shimane Prefecture, Japan announced that Dokdo belonged to their land, but many Japanese maps at that time did not show Dokdo in their maps. That suggests that the announcement was not accepted or the announcement actually did not happened. Especially after Korea's independence from Japan in 1946 the map by the supreme command of the Allied Forces or Japanese map produced by Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs, the map of Shimane Prefecture produced by private organization, no maps from above show Dokdo.

The exhibition shows the pictures of Dokdo Defense Guards(1953-56) that was organized to protect Dokdo against Japanese's landing on the island. Videos and documentaries about Dokdo, and songs about Dokdo would be broadcast. About 40 published materials about Dokdo can be seen in the Modern History Museum. The exhibition holds till July 3rd(Close on Mondays) From 9a.m. to 6 p.m. Free Admission. Contact 051-253-3845.

 

The source of news : Busanilbo,  Tuesday 4 12, 2005, 9:02