Northeast Asian History Network

Who are we going to meet in Dokdo? Let's say hello to people there and ask what they do on the island.

We are people catching fish off the island.

We are government officials and lighthouse keepers on the island.

We are Coast Guards defending the island.


Who lives on the island and how they live their lives?: Choi Jong-deok began living on the island from March 1965 until he passed away in 1987. Right now, Kim Seong-do and his spouse, Dokdo Coast Guards, and government officials are inhabiting in the island.

Let's read about a life of "Sapsal Dog," the guardian of Dokdo.


A day of Sapsal Dog, the Dokdo guardian: Hello! We are "Baekmi" and "Heukmi," Sapsal dogs, designated as Natural Heritage Species No. 368, who live on Dokdo.
Did you know that cute puppies like us are living on this island?
Every morning, we wake up earlier than the Coast Guards and watch a sunrise on the horizon.
Once the Coast Guards get up, we exercise with them. We must be strong to keep this island safe.
We wag our tails to tourists who visit our island and guide them to places to visit.
Tourists call us Dokdo mascots. We love to take pictures with them.
Once the tourists leave the island, we start inspecting the island with the Coast Guards.
After dark, we go to sleep while looking at the lighthouse that illuminates the darkened East Sea.
We are taking good care of the East Sea and Dokdo and come visit us anytime if you want to see us. Bye!

Search for various facilities on the island and find out what they are for. Use Appendix 2.

What are three essential things for people's survival? These are air, water, and food. Can you find drinking water in Dokdo? In Dokdo, the lonely island far away from the mainland, there is a spring called "Mulgol" where you can get fresh water.
Mulgol, meaning the valley of water, produces about 1,000 liters of fresh water dripping from the rock crevices. Recently, the government brought in a desalination station that turns salty sea water into drinking water.

Let's find out other man-made facilities on the island.

Dokdo has a library or not?
There is indeed a library in Dokdo. The library, called the Dokdo Annex of the National Assembly Library, is located within the Dokdo Coast Guard building near the peak of Dongdo.

Mailbox: The mailbox in Dokdo is a symbol that the island is our territory. Its postal code is 40240.

Dokdo road signs: Due to a new road name change, Dongdo and Seodo have been changed to Dokdo Isabu Road and Dokdo Ahn Yong-bok Road, respectively.

Dokdo stairs: Due to a new road name change, Dongdo and Seodo have been changed to Dokdo Isabu Road and Dokdo Ahn Yong-bok Road, respectively.

Cable car: The cable car at the landing dock carries supplies from the mainland to the Coast Guard sentry post.

Make a list of places in Dokdo you want to visit and what you want to do once you are there.

Write a message of encouragement to the Coast Guards who defend Dokdo.

Solve the following quizzes:

1. Residents, ( ), lighthouse keepers, and government officials live in Dokdo.
2. There is a water spring in Dokdo called ( ), meaning the valley of water.

This is a map of Dokdo with marks of facilities we talked about. Make a list of what you find in your area and what is found only in Dokdo. Let's think about why they are different.