Liancourt Rocks

A group of small islands in the Sea of Japan, controlled by South Korea and claimed by both South Korea and Japan. South Korea calls them Dokdo, while Japan calls them Takeshima.

Connect

Korean Empire: The Korean state that existed from 1897 to 1910, before Japan annexed Korea. Its 1900 imperial decree is cited by South Korea as evidence of Korean administration of Dokdo.
Territorial sovereignty: The authority of a state over territory, including the right to govern it and exclude other states. Both governments frame their claims as exercises of sovereignty over the same islands.
Syngman Rhee: South Korea's first president, who governed from 1948 until 1960. His 1952 maritime boundary brought the rocks within South Korea's claimed zone.
Dokdo Museum: A museum on Ulleungdo devoted to the history and significance of Dokdo. Its exhibits present the islands through South Korea's historical and national narrative.
Japanese annexation of Korea: Japan's formal incorporation of Korea as a colony in 1910, following years of increasing control. The annexation frames South Korean arguments that Japanese actions concerning the rocks formed part of colonial expansion.
Effective occupation: A form of territorial control demonstrated through sustained, public acts of government and administration. South Korea points to its continuing administration; Japan disputes that this establishes lawful sovereignty.
Shin Saimdang: A Korean artist and writer of the Joseon period, now celebrated as a cultural figure in South Korea. Her image on South Korea's 50,000-won note contrasts with the dispute's recurring use of national symbols.
Takeshima Day: An annual observance established by Shimane Prefecture in Japan to promote Japan's claim to Takeshima. The observance makes the territorial claim visible in Japanese domestic politics.
San Francisco Peace Treaty: The 1951 treaty that formally ended the state of war between Japan and the Allied powers after World War II. Its omission of the rocks from the listed Korean territories became central to rival interpretations of sovereignty.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: The international treaty that sets rules for maritime zones, navigation, and uses of the oceans. The rocks' status affects debates about maritime entitlements in surrounding waters.