- Dokdo in the East Sea
- Educational material
- High School Version
Dokdo in the East Sea
Dokdo is believed to have formed from volcanic activity from about 2.5 to 4.6 million years ago. Since its creation, Dokdo has been the keeper of the East Sea as “Korea’s Island.”
However, Japan claimed Dokdo during its colonization of Korea from 1910 to 1945, and has continued to do so since Korea’s independence in 1945. In recent years, Japan has been educating the next generation of students that the islet is Japanese territory.
Dokdo is a symbol of Korean independence and sovereignty. Today Koreans have no choice but to explain Korean sovereignty over Dokdo in terms of historical facts, international law, and geography to people who are growing up learning that Dokdo is Japanese territory.
Francis Bacon coined the famous phrase “Knowledge is power.” The authors of this book believe that the only way to become keepers of Dokdo is to strive for more knowledge and to acquire a systematic comprehension of the facts about Dokdo. This textbook was created with the following ideas as focal points.
First, the facts about Dokdo should be objectively and accurately described. Having a thorough understanding of the facts is equally as important as knowing them. Therefore, close attention is paid to providing factual information.
Second, the material and questions should inspire students in this course to explore this topic further on their own. This textbook was structured in a way that encourages students to proactively seek in-depth study of the core content during the course.
Finally, the course should motivate students to consider Dokdo from a variety of perspectives.
Hopefully, students will use Dokdo as a starting point to broaden their thinking and consider such aspects as sovereignty, civil society, and humanity through this course.
December 2011
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