YPS - Review

Dokdo, A Proud Land Of Korea

Gogyung Park

November 6th, 2024

Dokdo, located in the farest East side of Korea, is a beautiful island that holds great values both environmentally and politically. It is currently a habitat for various marine species and birds and it has proved to be an important territory in many ways. 

If we look into its environmental value, it is located in the East Sea, which plays an important role for continental countries such as Russia and China to expand further into the ocean. By this, it can be used as a surveillance tower to identify their movements and to take measures accordingly. 

Dokdo holds a limitless amount of economical benefits. Firstly, under Dokdo, tons of Methane Hydrates are buried which are icelike solids that consist of methane and water that can be used as a crucial energy source in the future. They can be used to fuel devices, manufacture fertilizers and to generate electricity. That it causes less environmental damage than other fossil fuels is also a convincing part makes it even more reliable and favorable for the next generation energy source. Compared to the current usage of gas in Korea, it is considered for the amount that’s buried deep down the island to be available for use up to 30-50 years and its value is estimated to be 17 hundred billion dollars in total. There are also other resources such as bisphosphonate, which is currently being used for osteoporosis therapy. Secondly, it is located in the crosspoint of a cold current and a warm current, which forms a golden fishing ground full of planktons. This attracts and lures other fishes and develops a healthy and active marine environment. Thirdly, it holds a massive amount of deep seawater beneath. Deep Seawater, unlike surfacing seawater. is pure and less affected by environmental changes and pollution. This makes the seawater available for the use of it on various fields such as makeup, drinking water, cure for dermatosis. 

It has been long considered that this land belongs to Korea. But these days, there has been continuous international controversies on whether the island belongs to Korea or Japan. The Korean government doesn’t view this issue as something they have to deal with as they are sticking with the measure of ‘silence’. As mentioned above, Dokdo has various advantages that prevent both countries from yielding. 

However, whatever the circumstances are and may be, this controversy is not accepted by Koreans and is considered to be nonsense. Korea has proved their point through various kinds of evidence and has given answers to all of Japan's rebuts, while Japan is only arguing with lack of records, ignoring facts that are disadvantageous towards them. One example is the official document from the Japanese governing body in 1877. Taejeungguan, has notified a document that said, ‘keep in mind that 2 islands, including Ulleungdo and one another(Dokdo) have nothing to do with Japan’. Even though they have known the fact that Dokdo existed long before and belonged to Korea, when they illegally incorporated Dokdo in 1905 they argued, ‘there are no signs on Dokdo that show the penetration from other countries’ as if they had discovered a new island. 

It is getting clearer that the Korean government can’t just sit and watch this situation in silence no more. On the Korean government’s official website, it just states that this controversy doesn’t exist and they are not willing to act on it in any way. Although this issue seems complicated to us, it doesn’t mean much for the foreigners. Simply for them, the country that can prove their side more convincing will win this never-ending battle. In order to achieve this victory, the government should be in charge of announcing their firm side of claiming Dokdo as Korea's territory and it will be essential for Korean citizens to learn and understand the reason why to stand our ground despite Japan’s unstopping arguments. With Korea’s growing world influence, it is now our chance to finish this argument and reclaim and take back what is rightfully ours.