Historically, geographically and by international law Dokdo is Korean territory.
However, Japan continues to force its misguided claims over the Korea-controlled island.
Part of Seoul's move to remind Tokyo of the overwhelming amount of evidence piling up
against them regarding the matter, Koreans dedicated October 25th to the easternmost
islets.
For our newsfeatures tonight, Lee Ji-won shows us how the 17th Dokdo Day is being celebrated.
On October 25th, 1900, the Korean Empire officially announced its jurisdiction over Dokdo and
the nearby Ulleungdo Island in the East Sea.
And to commemorate this, in 2000, 'The Party for Tokdo Protection' designated the day as
'Dokdo Day.'
At this time of year, many cultural activities are held to promote public interest in Korea's
easternmost island and share its history.
One such promotion is the "Dokdography" campaign.
The campaign distributes picture frames that promote the island,.. and people hold up the
frame and take pictures of everyday items then share it on social media.
(Kor) "Dokdo is our sovereign territory and I think
it's a nice way of having people stop and think about the island."
Organized by 'Dokdo 101', a group of young Dokdo activists who seek to raise awareness
of the island,... the project was able to get a boost from one of Korea's major retailers,
BGF,... which offered to not only pay the printing costs, but also to place the frames
in their convenience stores.
The campaign's aim is simple, to have people think about Dokdo and share it with others.
(Kor) "Many Koreans care about Dokdo,... but there
is nothing much they can do in their daily lives to show support for it.
So we thought, simply adding a frame and hashtags of Dokdo on their SNS posts would let people
easily show and share their interest for the island."
Seoul Arts Center in the southern part of the capital is also promoting Dokdo.
The center has been holding an art exhibition on Dokdo since last week, showcasing over
400 works,... including 158 works by foreign artists from 31 countries.
From paintings to calligraphies,... artists depicted their views and insight of the island,
whether it be Dokdo's natural beauty,... or the historical significance it holds to Koreans.
(French) "I didn't know about this island in Korea's
easternmost region,... but looking at this exhibition taught me a lot about it.
It holds a very symbolic value to the Koreans and I think it's quite amusing and interesting."
And the exhibition is not only a learning experience for its visitors, but for the foreign
artists as well.
(Eng-skype) "I thought it was a wonderful experience to
expand knowledge and also to learn about Dokdo Island.
And I also thought it was a wonderful opportunity to contribute to the peace through a mutual
understanding and notion of the territory."
But 'Dokdo Day' isn't the only time of year that people can learn about the island.
(Standup) "In Seoul's northwestern Seodaemun-gu District,
there's even a Dokdo museum to show people what the island is really like."
From a model that shows every rock and cavern of Dokdo's two islets, Seodo and Dongdo,...
to detailed explanations of the geographical and ecological studies on Dokdo,... visitors
get to have a good understanding of Korea's easternmost island.
(Kor) "I didn't know Dokdo actually consisted of
two islets.
It was a very fun and educational.
I think we need to show more interest in Dokdo to show our support.
There are also historical documents explaining why Dokdo belongs to Korea,... including Japanese
maps that show the island is within Korea's borders.
Stories of historical figures, like Ahn Yong-bok, who conveyed Korea's sovereignty over the
island to Japan in the late 17th century, are also on display.
(Kor) "I was surprised that there were efforts to
protect our territory even from centuries ago.
I want to go to Dokdo and see its beauty myself,... and meet the residents too."
Amid Japan's continuous claims over the island,... many experts say such efforts to promote the
correct history of Dokdo are very much needed.
(Kor) "It was only when Japan colonized Korea in
the early 20th century that it took control of Korean territory -- and Dokdo was no exception.
But after surrendering in World War II, Japan returned Korea's independence and the annexed
islands...
including Dokdo.
Thus, the island has much meaning on Korea's liberation and sovereignty."
Although 'Dokdo Day' only comes around once a year, Dokdo activists hope their efforts
raise awareness of Korea's easternmost island all year round.
Lee Ji-won, Arirang News.