Northeast Asian History Network

The earliest extant Korean document that contains records about Dokdo is History of the Three Kingdoms (1145). This book describes how General Kim Isabu of Silla annexed Usan. Ulleungdo and Dokdo were known as the “State of Usan” in the Three Kingdoms period. When people from Usan invaded and plundered the Silla mainland, Ichan (General)General Isabu conquered Usan. The people of Usan relied on the island’s harsh environment for defense. However, Isabu devised a clever plan to conquer Usan and force them to pay an annual tribute to Silla.
The following excerpt can be found in History of the Three Kingdoms, vol. 4, Silla Section 4, in the sixth month of the thirteenth year of the reign of King Jijeung (512).


When the Goryeo Dynasty was established in 918, Usan become part of Goryeo territory. In 930, the State of Usan sent two officials, Baek Gil and To Du, to pay tribute and remained under Goryeo rule.
After an invasion by the Northeast Jurchens in 1018, Usan faced difficulties in agriculture. Goryeo supported Usan by dispatching a special envoy with farming equipment and seeds. In 1032, the general of Wooreungdo (Ulleungdo) sent his son to pay tribute to Goryeo.
In 1157, King Uijong sent Myeongjudo’s Kim Yu-rip on an excursion to verify whether Ulleungdo was suitable for habitation. After surveying the surface area, villages, sites, and resources, Kim Yu-rip returned and reported to the king that Ulleungdo was too rocky and unsuitable for habitation. The Goryeo government attempted several times to send people to Ulleungdo to inhabit the island, but numerous casualties resulting from storms stopped the efforts. Due to the residents’ difficulties with the living conditions and continuous foreign invasions, the government dispatched an Anmusato Ulleungdo for administrative duties.
In Goryeo-period records, Ulleungdo appears as Wooreung(do) and Mureung(do), and Dokdo appears as Usan. Usan (Dokdo) and Mureung (Ulleungdo) are listed as separate islands in History of Goryeo Geographical Records (1451).


Several records about Ulleungdo and Dokdo are extant from the Joseon period. As people had long resided in Ulleungdo, the government never stopped receiving reports about Ulleungdo in the Joseon period. However, the government was unable to oversee the people residing in Ulleungdo. The island’s residents were an easy target for foreign invasions, and some people fled there to avoid paying taxes. The government introduced a “retrieval policy”Retrieval Policyfor Ulleungdo residents. Although Ulleungdo thus became an uninhabited island, this was an effort to govern Ulleungdo and its surrounding islands, and not an abandonment of the territory.
Despite the retrieval policy, people continued to reside on Ulleungdo, and the island was never truly uninhabited. Anmusa An’s government post was “Anmusa Official to Mureung” or “Anmusa Official to Usan and Mureung.” As his title suggests, Anmusa An was not only in charge of investigating Ulleungdo, but Usando (Dokdo) as well. In the late Joseon period, the government dispatched a Search Official every three years and a Search Policy was instituted.
The “retrieval policy” and the “search policy” were different from the “empty island policy.” These administrative policies were introduced to maintain a central government system. However, Japan intentionally uses the term “empty island policy” to insinuate that the Joseon government intended to abandon its territory.


In the early Joseon period, the government compiled geographical records of the entire country. The Newly Compiled Geographical Description of the Eight Provinces (1432) preceded the compilation of The Annals of King Sejong Geographical Records (1454). This text contained information about Ulleungdo and Usando.


Information in The Annals of King Sejong Geographical Records describes Usan (Dokdo) and Mureung (Ulleungdo) as two separate islands. This excerpt, “The two islands are close enough that the other is visible on a clear day,” suggests that the islands are not so close that they would not be visible on a foggy day.
Among the islands near Ulleungdo are Gwaneumdo and Jukdo. Gwaneumdo is located near the tip (Island Neck) of Ulleungdo and is sometimes referred to as Kkakse Island. Jukdo is located approximately four kilometers northeast of Ulleungdo. An inhabited island, travel by boat from Ulleungdo to Jukdo takes approximately 15 minutes. It is also known as “Jukdo” or “Bamboo Island” because of its dense bamboo forests. These two islands are close enough that the other may be seen even in foggy conditions. Therefore, the island mentioned in The Annals of King Sejong Geographical Records clearly does not indicate either Gwaneumdo or Jukdo. Similar to History of the Three Kingdoms, The Annals of King Sejong Geographical Records mentions General Isabu’s annexation of Usan, which indicates the recognition and importance of Ulleungdo and Usando.


The New and Expanded Complete Conspectus of the Territory of the Eastern Country was compiled in 1531, and it too includes references to Ulleungdo and Dokdo. The title “Usando, Ulleungdo” obviously refers to the two islands.
The excerpt “On a clear day, the sandbar and the trees on the mountain peak can be vividly seen” indicates that Ulleungdo’s tree lines are visible from Uljin. This is different in meaning and context from “visible” in The Annals of King Sejong Geographical Records.


Specific mention of “Usando” began with the “An Yong-bok Incident.” During the reign of King Sukjong, a government official named Park Se-dang Se-dang Pak (1629-1703) noted the following in “Ulleungdo.”
Thus an island that can be seen only in clear weather or from the highest point cannot be either Jukdo or Gwaneumdo, both of which are very close to Ulleungdo. Dokdo is the only possible choice.


The scholar from the late Joseon period, Gyung Joon Sin (1712-1781), wrote Notes on Joseon’s Frontiers (1756).
The above excerpt indicates that Usando is what the Japanese refer to as Songdo (Matsushima), and that it is one in the same as Dokdo. Furthermore, the fact that both islands are stated to be a part of Usan shows that the islands are Joseon territory.