Northeast Asian History Network

1. In 1946, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers excluded Dokdo from the territories of Japan and banned access to it.

The Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers issued an order on January 29, 1946, to the Japanese government to halt any political or administrative exercise of power to Dokdo. It was followed on June 22, 1946, by SCAPIN (Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers Index Number) Order No. 1033 to establish the MacArthur Line so that Japanese fishermen would be banned from fishing operations beyond the line. The Japanese government contended that these two documents were not final in deciding Korea’s territorial possession of Dokdo. Given that the Republic of Korea was founded in August 1948 and has since exercised territorial rights over the island, it is clear that Dokdo again became part of Korea from that moment. In other words, the Republic of Korea gained formal independence from Japan in August, 1945, not in April, 1952 when the San Francisco Peace Treaty was signed. This is an incontrovertible fact of history acknowledged both by Japan and the United States. In previous international agreements, the same had been declared true. The Cairo Declaration, issued in 1943, stated that “Japan will be expelled from all other territories which she has taken by violence and greed.” Dokdo was certainly part of these territories taken by Japan. That means Korea regained Dokdo from illegal occupation by Japan at the time of Japan’s defeat in war.

Northeast Asian History Network

Dokdo in the East Sea

Dokdo is Korean Territory

1. In 1946, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers excluded Dokdo from the territories of Japan and banned access to it.