The essential facts to understand Takeshima

Ahn Yong-bok’s Statement andthe Takeshima Dispute
Written by

SHIMOJO Masao,

Professor Emeritus, Takushoku University

Published by General Affairs Division,
Department of General Affairs, Shimane Prefectural Government

Ahn Yong-bok’s Statement and the Takeshima Dispute
SHIMOJO Masao, Professor Emeritus, Takushoku University
Do you know the island called Takeshima in the Sea of Japan? It is located220 kilometers from Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, and 215 kilometers from
Uljin, a town on the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, and is a solitaryisland far off in the ocean consisting of Mejima Island (Higashijima Island),Ojima Island (Nishijima Island) [Photo 1], and several rock reefs. Today,
this island is known as “Dokdo” in the Korean Peninsula, while in Japan it
was called “Matsushima” during the Edo period and also called the “Lyanko
Islands” after the Meiji period.
The Lyanko Islands were named Takeshima on January 28, 1905,
when the Meiji Government decided to place it under the jurisdiction of
the Governor of the Oki Islands, which belonged to Shimane Prefecture,[Photo 1] Takeshima (on the left is Nishijima Island with an altitude of
168 m, on the right is Higashijima Island with an altitude of 97 m)

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because Takeshima “had no trace of occupation by any other states.” The
Lyanko Islands were incorporated into the present-day Okinoshima Town in
Shimane Prefecture, because NAKAI Yozaburo, who was hunting sea lions on
the Lyanko Islands at the time, requested the Meiji Government to lease the
Lyanko Islands to him.
However, there are currently about 40 members of the Korea Coast
Guard permanently stationed at Takeshima, and they are refusing to let theJapanese approach. The military occupation of Takeshima by the Governmentof the Republic of Korea (ROK) began around the end of August 1954, andthe dispute over the territorial rights of Takeshima still continues between
Japan and the ROK. What led to Takeshima, which is Japanese territory,
becoming a site of dispute between the two countries? The Takeshima
dispute occurred due to the action taken by the Government of the ROK
on January 18, 1952, when it established the Syngman Rhee Line on thehigh seas and included Takeshima in the ROK side of the line. What was thereasoning behind the Government of the ROK’s decision to make Takeshima
its territory? From the 20th century to the beginning of the 21st century,
history textbooks for Korean middle school students explained the historicalbackground of the Takeshima dispute as follows.
Dokdo, an island attached to Utsuryo Island, has long been considered
Korean territory. In the early Joseon era, people living on Utsuryo
Island were relocated to the mainland to prevent people from being
exiled, but after the government temporarily loosened control of theisland, Korean fishermen continued to use it as a fishing base. During
the reign of King Sukjong in the Joseon era, Ahn Yong-bok, a fishermanliving in Dongnae, chased away Japanese fishermen coming and going2

from Utsuryo Island, and traveled to Japan to confirm that Dokdo was
Korean territory. Even after that, Japanese fishermen often continued toillegally approach the vicinity of Utsuryo Island to catch fish. Therefore,
the Korean Government encouraged its people to move there, establishedgovernment offices, and put the area up to Dokdo under its jurisdiction.
However, Japan forcibly incorporated Dokdo into its territory during the
Russo-Japanese War.
(The second volume of National History)
What is taught in Korean history textbooks is based on the country’s
history where, at the end of the 17th century, a fisherman called Ahn Yongbok travelled to Japan and made the Japanese side acknowledge “Dokdo”(Takeshima) as Korean territory. Reflecting this historical narrative, a stonemonument [Photo 2] was erected on Utsuryo Island to honor Ahn Yong-bok’s
achievements, and he is considered a Korean national hero.
This is why the ROK recognizes the fact that Japan incorporated
Takeshima into Shimane Prefecture in January 1905 during the Russo-Japanese
War as a seizure by Japan.
However, there are no documents that record that Ahn Yong-bok
expelled Japanese fishermen from Utsuryo Island and negotiated with the lordof the Tottori Domain to make Utsuryo Island and Takeshima Korean territoryon the Japanese side. For this reason, this book will look into the history ofJapan and the ROK concerning Takeshima and find out what kind of history
unfolded in Oki and the Tottori Domain, where Ahn Yong-bok smuggled in at
the end of the 17th century.

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[Photo 2] Monument of Ahn Yong-bok(1) Travel to Utsuryo Island during the Edo Period
The origins of the Takeshima dispute can be traced back to Utsuryo Island at
the end of the 17th century. According to Samguksagi (History of the Three
Kingdoms), Utsuryo Island became part of the Korean Peninsula in the 6th
century (in 512). However, from the 14th century to the 15th century, someof the residents of Utsuryo Island became Japanese pirates (wako) and attacked
the coast of the Korean Peninsula. Therefore, in 1417 the Government of
Korea decided to relocate the islanders from Utsuryo Island to mainland Korea
and make it an uninhabited island.
A Korean history textbook states, “people living on Utsuryo Island wererelocated to the mainland to prevent people from being exiled.” This tells thehistory of the people of Utsuryo Island, who became Japanese pirates andattacked the Korean Peninsula. In the ROK, the policy of turning Utsuryo

4Island into an uninhabited island was called the Repatriation Policy, and thispolicy continued until recently. The Government of Korea kept Utsuryo Island
uninhabited from the 15th century to the 19th century.
The Ohya and Murakawa families in Yonago of the Tottori Domain
decided to move to Utsuryo Island to engage in fishing activities. This was
because in 1618, when IKEDA Shintaro (Mitsumasa), who was going to be
the lord of the Tottori Domain, moved from Himeji to the Tottori Domain,
the Ohya and Murakawa families requested ABE Shirogoro, a supervisor
dispatched by the Shogunate, to issue permission to travel to Utsuryo Island.
The Ohya family and the Murakawa family, who received permission from theEdo Shogunate to travel to Utsuryo Island, traveled to the island in sequential
orders, and engaged in catching abalone and hunting sea lions.
Currently, the Tottori Prefectural Museum owns an illustrated map ofUtsuryo Island (“Illustrated map of Takeshima submitted by Ihe-e Kotani”)[Photo 3]. In the map, “abalone catching” and “teppo-ba” (gun range) areclearly depicted, but “teppo-ba” indicates that it was used as a sea lion hunting
site. This map shows that the entire Utsuryo Island area was a rich fishingground for abalone and sea lions.
The Ohya and Murakawa families traveled to Utsuryo Island to engage
in fishing activities from around April to August, which also coincides with thebreeding season for sea lions. On Utsuryo Island, abalone and seaweed were
harvested and dried in the sun, and oil was extracted from sea lions. Dried
abalone, in particular, was offered as gifts to the Shogun’s family and senior
members of the Shogunate, and it was highly prized.
When the Ohya and Murakawa families crossed the sea to Utsuryo
Island, they borrowed guns from the Tottori Domain and received a traffic pass
[Photo 4] from the ship magistrate before setting sail. The borrowed guns were5

[Photo 3] “Illustrated map of Takeshima submitted by Ihe-e Kotani”(Partial enlargement)

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used to hunt sea lions, and hunters from Hoki (western Tottori) were in chargeof shooting them.
Meanwhile, abalone hunters from Oki engaged in catching abalone on
Utsuryo Island, and some of the sailors were also employed from Oki. For
this reason, the Ohya and Murakawa families always stopped at Oki before
travelling to Utsuryo Island and hired abalone hunters and sailors. A few
abalone hunters and five sailors boarded from Oki.
The ship that travelled to Utsuryo Island had a sail that wasapproximately 10 m wide, with the capacity to carry approximately 30 metrictons. According to the record of the Genroku era’s traffic pass, there were atotal of 22 people on board, of which one-third of them were from Oki.
According to Takeshima Study written by OKAJIMA Masayoshi, thewaterways leading to Utsuryo Island were Yonago, Kumozu, Chiburi, and[Photo 4] Traffic pass

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Fukuura, in that order, and ships would wait for good wind at Dogo in Oki
Islands. The precise location where the ships waited for the favorable wind
was Fukuura in Minamigata Village (part of the former Goka Village). It wascustomary to pray for a safe voyage at the Benzai-Tennyo (Heavenly Maiden)
Shrine [Photo 5] on Bentenjima in Fukuura.
With regard to the Benzai-Tennyo Shrine, the Inshū Shichō Gakki(Records on Observations in Oki Province) (“Minamigata Village Note”)
written by SAITO Toyohito of the Izumo Matsue Domain, states the following.
There is a solitary island in the sea with growing trees, shaped high. On
top of it, the Benzai-Tennyo is enshrined, and a torii gate was built facing
the village. Those who crossto Isotakeshima stay there andpredict the clear weather andwind. They also pray for theirsafe return.
Isotakeshima was the name of
Utsuryo Island at the time, andpeople who crossed the sea to
Utsuryo Island would anchor
their ships on Bentenjima
and pray for a safe voyage. In
the Dajoruiten Part 2 (Vol.
96)(MeijiGovernment’s

document) compiled during[Photo 5] Fukuura Benzai-Tennyo Shrine Hall

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the Meiji period, the following

is written about the Benzai-Tennyo Shrine. “At that time, Benzai-Tennyo
Shrine was built as a place to pray for the peace of the Ohya and Murakawa
families, and for the peaceful sea and waves. Even today, whenever any repairs
are carried out for the main hall of the shrine, the two families must always be
informed of it.”
The Ohya and Murakawa families’ travels to Utsuryo Island wereinterrupted in 1693 due to a conflict with Korean fishermen. Only BenzaiTennyo Shrine on Bentenjima stays the same, still reflecting its elegant
appearance on the sea of Fukuura.
In the past, men of the sea would park their ships under BenzaiTennyo Shrine, pray for a safe voyage, predict the wind, and when thewind was favorable, they would set sail for Utsuryo Island. According to
the Kokudaiki (History of the Province) in the Inshū Shichō Gakki, it took
two days and one night to reach Takeshima from Oki, and one day fromTakeshima to Utsuryo Island.
However, fishing activities on Utsuryo Island had also come to an end.
(2) Travelling to Utsuryo Island and Encountering Korean Fishermen
Almost 80 years after travelling to Utsuryo Island began, the Governmentof Korea kept the island as an uninhabited island. As a result, the Ohya andMurakawa families continued their fishing activities without encountering
Korean fishermen. However, in 1692, when the Murakawa family’s boat
approached Utsuryo Island during their turn, they found that Korean
fishermen were catching abalone and seaweed on the island. Therefore,
the Murakawa family’s boatmen brought back Korean straw sandals, dried
abalone, chunks of Korean miso, and other items as evidence of a crime ofcross-border invasion.

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On March 16, 1693, fishermen from the Ohya family departed from
Fukuura for Utsuryo Island. When they arrived at Utsuryo Island, theyfound abalone and seaweed caught by Korean fishermen already being driedon the beach, and that the Ohya family’s small boat was being used without
permission. For those Japanese who had a traffic pass issued by the Tottori
Domain and were travelling to Utsuryo Island using the Aoi crest [Photo 6]
as their ship’s seal, what they saw on the island was perceived as a violation of
their territorial waters.
The Ohya family’s boatmen asked Korean fishermen not to violate theirterritorial waters. In response, one of the Korean fishermen said that he hadcome to catch abalone by government order, and that he was one of the fortytwo people (divided into three boats) who had arrived.
Feeling that Utsuryo Island would be taken if things continued as it were,
the boatmen of the Ohyafamily decided to bring
two Koreans, Ahn Yongbok and Park Eo-doon,
who also appear in Korean
history textbooks, back toJapan as living witnessesof the border crossing, inorder to seek the ruling of
the Shogunate.
The ship carrying
Ahn Yong-bok set sail
[Photo 6] A ship’s seal with the Aoi crest on a tokaibune(sea-crossing boat).

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from Utsuryo Island on
April

18,

and

arrivedat Fukuura, Dogo, Oki Province on the 20th. This was because there was aguardhouse in Fukuura. The ship left Fukuura on the 23rd, stopped at Dozenon the way, left there on the 26th, and arrived at Unshu Nagahama on thesame day. It was on the 27th that they returned to Yonago.
The Ohya family immediately reported the incident to the Tottori
Domain, and both Ahn Yong-bok and Park Eo-doon were detained by the
Ohya family in Nada Town. Meanwhile, on the last day of April, the Tottori
Domain sent a haya-bikyaku (an express postman) to the Edo Shogunate andsought instructions from them.
According to the Takeshima Study, the personality of Ahn Yong-bok was
said to be “fearless and violent,” and the Ikeda Family’s Oyagura Diary describesthat Ahn Yong-bok, who was kept in Yonago, made a fuss because he wantedsome recreation. Although he was prohibited from going out, he was allowed
to drink alcohol, with “a limit of about three sho (cups) a day.”Instructions from the Shogunate reached Tottori on May 26. At thattime, the Shogunate ordered the Tottori Domain to escort Ahn Yong-bok
and Park Eo-doon to Nagasaki, and let the Tsushima Domain, which was the
diplomatic contact point with Korea, protest against the Government of Korea
regarding the fishermen crossing the border.
While waiting for the Shogunate’s instruction, Ahn Yong-bok and Park
Eo-doon were temporarily transferred to the castle town of Tottori Castle. The
details of the transfer are recorded in the Tottori Domain’s Takeshima Study,
which describes that no women and children were allowed to come and viewthe transfer of Ahn Yong-bok and Park Eo-doon, as there was a risk that thetwo would cause trouble while being escorted.
At that time, both Ahn Yong-bok and Park Eo-doon had their IDs withthem. Park Eo-doon was a fisherman in Ulsan, while Ahn Yong-bok, whose11

original name seems to be Yong-bok, belonged to the navy in Dongnae,
Gyeongsang Province. In addition, Park Eo-doon was an ordinary citizen, but
Ahn Yong-bok was a servant with “the lower class status.”
Soon after that, the Tottori Domain, following the orders of the
Shogunate, escorted Ahn Yong-bok to the magistrate’s office in Nagasaki. At
first, the Tottori Domain could not decide whether to take the sea route or
the land route. In the end, a safe land route was chosen, and Ahn Yong-bok
and Park Eo-doon travelled in kago (means of transportation), accompanied bymore than ten people, including a medical doctor and a cook.
The party left the Tottori Domain on June 7 and arrived in Nagasaki on
the last day of June. On July 1, Ahn Yong-bok and Park Eo-doon were handed
over to the Nagasaki Magistrate’s Office, where a full-scale interrogation was
carried out by an interpreter dispatched from the Tsushima Domain. The
circumstances eventually became clearer, and Ahn Yong-bok, who had testified
that he had been working as a fisherman under government orders, answered
the Tsushima Domain that he “was harvesting abalones for a living” whenquestioned in Korean.
Based on this statement by Ahn Yong-bok, the Tsushima Domain
decided to protest to the Korean Government about the border-crossing
behavior of Korean fishermen.
(3) The Tsushima Domain and Ahn Yong-bok’s Statement after Being
RepatriatedOn the first day of November in 1693, the ship carrying Ahn Yong-bok
and Park Eo-doon was moored at Jeolyeongdo in Busan, and the two werehanded over to the Government of Korea. In doing so, the Tsushima Domain
requested the Korean side to prevent the recurrence of violations of territorial

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waters. In response, the Government of Korea, which intended to avoid
friction with the Edo Shogunate, was cooperative, forbidding them fromcrossing the sea to Utsuryo Island and promising to punish Ahn Yong-bok andPark Eo-doon severely.
However, soon after that, an unexpected situation occurred within
Korea. The Korean Government that had been cooperative with the Tsushima
Domain was overthrown, and a government considered to be a hard-liner came
to power. Following this, the treatment of Ahn Yong-bok and Park Eo-doonalso changed completely.
The reason for the change was that Ahn Yong-bok, who was handed overto the Korean Government, gave a different statement from the one he madewhile in the Tsushima Domain. When interrogated by the Tsushima Domain,
Ahn Yong-bok stated that he “was harvesting abalones for a living,” while backin Korea, he testified, “I was lost while transporting taxes and drifted on to
Utsuryo Island. Japanese fishermen came there and took me away.” Park
Eo-doon stated the same thing as Ahn Yong-bok, both of whom were taken
away together. There was, however, one point for which Ahn Yong-bok made a
different statement to that of Park Eo-doon.
Ahn Yong-bok stated that during the voyage from Utsuryo Island to Oki
Islands, after dinner he witnessed an island that was “very large” comparedto Utsuryo Island. However, the Korean Government did not believe thestatement of “very large island,” because there was no island larger than
Utsuryo Island between Utsuryo Island and Oki Islands. The Government of
Korea then asked Park Eo-doon about the existence of the “very large island,”and Park Eo-doon stated that, “There is no large island between Utsuryo Island
and Japan.”Now, the question is why Ahn Yong-bok stated that there was a “very13large island” while being questioned by the Korean Government. There was areason for why he did so. Ahn Yong-bok, who was visiting Utsuryo Island forthe first time, saw the silhouette of an island in the northeast of Utsuryo Island
twice during his stay on the island, and visually estimated that it would take a
day’s boat ride to get there. Furthermore, he was informed by the fishermen
who were traveling with him to Utsuryo Island that the island was Usan Island.
Ahn Yong-bok believed that there was an island within a day’s boat rideaway from Utsuryo Island, and that it was called Usan Island. When Ahn
Yong-bok was being taken from Utsuryo Island to Japan, he saw a large islandon the way. It was exactly as he estimated, “a day’s boat ride,” and he saw theisland on the water after dinner on the next day.
The ship carrying Ahn Yong-bok left Utsuryo Island on April 18 andarrived at Fukuura on Oki Islands on the 20th. Thus, “after dinner on the nextday” when Ahn Yong-bok encountered the “very large island” must have been
April 19, and at that time they were in front of Oki Islands, which is muchlarger than Utsuryo Island. The “very large island” that Ahn Yong-bok saw
was not Takeshima, because Takeshima is a reef, which is much smaller than
Utsuryo Island.
However, three years later, Ahn Yong-bok smuggled into Japan toclaim that the “very large island” was Usan Island, and that Usan Island wasJapan’s Matsushima (Takeshima). However, Takeshima is located to thesoutheast of Utsuryo Island and is in a different direction from Usan Island,
which is located to the northeast of Utsuryo Island. Ahn Yong-bok truly
believed that Usan Island was Matsushima (Takeshima). This geographicalmisunderstanding of Ahn Yong-bok is the origin of today’s Takeshima dispute.
Moreover, an incident that occurred on the Korean side would have an
impact on the evaluation of Ahn Yong-bok and Park Eo-doon. Park’s wife and14children complained to the local government office in Ulsan, appealing, “Park
Eo-doon, who went fishing with Ahn Yong-bok and others on Utsuryo Island,
was taken away by Japanese fishermen.” This incident caused the developmentof a perception that Ahn Yong-bok and Park Eo-doon were victims of
abduction by the Japanese side, rather than people who had committed crossborder violations. With the change of government within Korea, distrust
towards the Tsushima Domain grew stronger among the Korean side.
In such a situation, the Tsushima Domain, which acted as a negotiator,
was inevitably put in an ambivalent position. For the Tsushima Domain,which protested against the Korean side concerning Ahn Yong-bok and others
crossing the border under the instructions of the Edo Shogunate, Korea wasalso an important trading partner.
Moreover, the Tsushima Domain had reached a turning point. In
the Tsushima Domain, the lord of the domain, SO Yoshitsugu, died at the
young age of 24, which led to a move to reconsider negotiations with the
Korean side. In particular, ABIRU Sobei and SUYAMA Shoemon recognized
Utsuryo Island as Korean territory from an early stage. The understanding ofthese two people was based on the “Uljin Prefecture” section of the Dongguk
Yeoji Seungnam (Survey of the Geography of Korea) (existing as the Sinjeung
Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam [Revised and Augmented Edition of the Survey of theGeography of Korea]) created in the 15th century, in which Utsuryo Island wasplaced under the jurisdiction of Uljin Prefecture, and Utsuryo Island was statedas “visible” from the Korean Peninsula.
This geographical awareness was shared by the Korean side. Whennegotiating with the Tsushima Domain, they claimed sovereignty over Utsuryo
Island on the basis of the descriptions in the Sinjeung Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam.
However, the situation was different in the case of TADA Yozaemon

15

of the Tsushima Domain, who was directly involved in negotiations with the
Korean side. TADA Yozaemon faithfully followed the orders of the Shogunate
and strongly claimed sovereignty over Utsuryo Island, based on the fact thatJapan had effectively controlled the island for 80 years, during which the
Korean side had abandoned it. There was also internal conflict within the
Tsushima clan over the ownership of Utsuryo Island.
Faced with the sudden death of their lord, the Tsushima Domain decided
to request the Shogunate to suspend the territorial dispute. The Edo Shogunateemphasized “good neighborly friendship” and made Utsuryo Island a Korean
territory. Therefore, on January 28, 1696, the Edo Shogunate forbade crossing
to Utsuryo Island, withdrew the traffic pass given to the Ohya and Murakawa
families to travel to Utsuryo Island, and informed the Tottori Domain of theprohibition of crossing the sea to Utsuryo Island. At that time, the issue of
attribution of Utsuryo Island had been settled on the Japanese side. However,in May of that year, an unexpected incident occurred in Oki.
(4) Ahn Yong-bok’s Incident of Illegal Entry into JapanOn May 20, 1696, 11 members of Ahn Yong-bok’s party smuggled into
Oku Village (a part of the former Togo Village) on Dogo, Oki Province,claiming that they had a request for the Tottori Domain. The Japanese side
has a record regarding this smuggling incident of Ahn Yong-bok, which iscalled the Genroku Kyu Heishinen Chosenbune Chakugan Ikkan no Oboegaki(Memorandum on the Arrival of a Boat from Korea in 1696).
This memorandum records that Ahn Yong-bok visited Japan to makeallegations against the Tottori Domain and describes his interactions with theofficials on duty in the domain. When he arrived, Ahn Yong-bok had a license
plate that read “Tongjeong Taifu (通政太夫)” and called himself “Third Rank

16

Dangsanggwan Officer Ahn (三品堂上臣、安同知).” When he was brought in by
the Ohya family in 1693, the status written on the plate (identification tag)that Ahn Yong-bok was wearing on his waist indicated his status as “the lower
class.” However, when he smuggled into the Tottori Domain in 1696, he had
become a high-ranking government official. Generally speaking, “Tongjeong
Taifu” was a rank equivalent to the Shosanmi (Senior third rank) in Japaneserankings. The “Third Rank Dangsanggwan” indicates a senior vassal who could
communicate directly with the king. Moreover, Ahn Yong-bok was wearing a
black hat designed to look similar to a crown with hanging crystal cords and alight-yellow cotton jacket, pretending to be a government official.
Ahn Yong-bok told the official on duty that he and Park Eo-doon had
been taken away on a ship belonging to Yonago of the Tottori Domain four
years ago. He further explained that this time, after breakfast on March 18,
they left Korea on 13 boats and arrived at Utsuryo Island in the evening of thesame day. Of the 13 boats, those who travelled on 12 boats were still on theisland, harvesting seaweed and abalone and cutting bamboo trees. According
to Ahn Yong-bok, Park Eo-doon was at that time on Utsuryo Island, but the
11 of them, including Ahn Yong-bok, decided to come to the Tottori Domain
to report something to the lord. Unfortunately, the weather turned bad, and sothey decided to stop by at Oku Village.
However, the bad weather did not seem to be the only reason for Ahn
Yong-bok to stop at Oki, because he complained about their plight as follows.
He said, “We had prepared some food when we left Korea, but we haveeaten it all, and now we do not even have enough rice.”
It was true that Ahn Yong-bok was in short supply of rice. After theconversation with the official on duty, Ahn Yong-bok presented six packages of“dried abalone” and a letter to the headman of Oku Village and the official on

17

duty. In the letter, a note was added after the main part, which read “lettuce,
green vegetables, and fruits please.” The Oku Village headman returned thesix packages of “dried abalone” and at the same time gave them lettuce, green
onions, torreya nuts, Japanese parsley, and ginger.
Then, the next day, Ahn Yong-bok sent a note explaining that they had
run out of rice and would not be able to have dinner. When the headman
and others went to check the situation, Ahn Yong-bok explained, “We are introuble because we have run out of rice. In Korea, when foreign ships arrive,
we are supposed to provide them with food, but do you not do the same here?”
In response, the village headman said that his village would act
appropriately when a foreign ship washed ashore in the area, but that Ahn
Yong-bok and others should have prepared food including rice since they had
come to make allegations. Ahn Yong-bok agreed with the village headman
and said that it was natural for the Japanese side to feel suspicious of them.
He continued to explain that they had left Utsuryo Island on May 15 andarrived in Japan straight from there, and that they did not plan to stay inJapan for long.
The headman and others mentioned that they wanted to check thecondition of the boat first to confirm their statements, and Ahn Yong-bok
agreed, saying, “That makes sense,” and showed them the inside of the boat inwhich only about 450 g of the remaining white rice was found. The headman
informed the official at the guardhouse of the situation with the Koreans,
while telling Ahn Yong-bok that the village area had little rice left due to apoor harvest the year before, and therefore all they had was poor quality rice, ifany. The village headman offered to arrange some rice for Ahn Yong-bok if hewould not mind the quality of the rice, and Ahn thankfully accepted the offer.
The village headman explained that it would take a little while until the18village received rice from the guardhouse. In the meantime, the village people
would collect around 6.75 kg of white rice from Oku Village and combine itwith the rice arriving from the guardhouse after it was washed, to make a totalaround 18.5 kg of rice. Ahn Yong-bok’s response was that it would be enoughfor the dinner on the 21st and three meals on the 22nd. Based on this estimate,
the village continued to provide rice to Ahn Yong-bok and others wheneverthey were able to prepare some.
According to the Genroku Kyu Heishinen Chosenbune Chakugan Ikkan no
Oboegaki, which was recorded by the Japanese side, Ahn Yong-bok disguised
himself as a government official, but it seems that he smuggled in without
preparing enough food.
At that time, what had Ahn Yong-bok prepared, given that he wasplanning to visit the Tottori Domain to make allegations? Among the things
that Ahn Yong-bok had in his possession were eight maps created based on
the Sinjeung Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam. Ahn Yong-bok showed the maps andtold the official on duty that Utsuryo Island, which belonged to Dongnaegu, Gangwon Province of Korea, was Takeshima, and Matsushima was Jasan
Island, which was also located in Gangwon Province.
However, it was in fact Uljin Prefecture in Gangwon Province that
had jurisdiction over Utsuryo Island, while Dongnae-gu was in Gyeongsang
Province. It seems that Ahn Yong-bok’s geographical understanding was notaccurate.
Similar inaccurate understanding also appeared when Ahn Yongbok indicated the distance between Takeshima (Utsuryo Island) and Korea
as approximately 120 km, and the distance between Utsuryo Island andMatsushima as approximately 200 km. Despite such a description, Ahn
Yong-bok also said that he had left the Korean Peninsula after breakfast in the19morning, and arrived at Utsuryo Island in the evening of the same day, andthen left Utsuryo Island and arrived at Matsushima on the same day.
However, the boat Ahn Yong-bok boarded was a small boat about 9 mlong and 3.6 m wide, with two masts (one of which was made of bamboo).
Physically, it would be almost impossible to reach Matsushima from Utsuryo
Island on the same day with such a small boat, which he described as about
200 km away from the destination.
In addition, Ahn Yong-bok called Jasan Island (Usan Island) on the map
he brought with him Matsushima (present-day Takeshima), but the presentday Takeshima was not depicted on that map. We can assume that the eightmaps brought by Ahn Yong-bok had been drawn based on the article in the
Sinjeung Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam.
In fact, when confirmed with the Taejong Sillok (The Annals of King
Taejong) that the Sinjeung Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam cited as its source, “15households” with “86 men and women” were supposed to be living on Usan
Island (Jasan Island). It is impossible for 86 people to live on Matsushima(present-day Takeshima), which is nothing more than a rocky reef. Thus,
this Usan Island is Utsuryo Island. The description in the Taejong Sillok that
15 households settled on Utsuryo Island confirms this, while the Sinjeung
Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam includes no description of the present-day Takeshima(“Dokdo”). As is clear from these facts, the eight maps that Ahn Yong-bok
brought with him only depicted the two Utsuryo Islands, but not Takeshima.
For this reason, in the Book on Our Country [Land] and Daedong Jiji
(Geography of the Great East), which were created at a later time based on
the Sinjeung Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam, Usan Island was deleted from theirmain texts.
It seems that Ahn Yong-bok smuggled into the Tottori Domain without

20

knowing this fact and, using the eight maps as evidence, attempted to claimthat Japan’s Takeshima was in fact Korea’s Utsuryo Island, and Matsushima(present-day Takeshima) was Korea’s Usan Island.
However, while in Oki, Ahn Yong-bok only expressed that he had arequest for the Tottori Domain and did not give any details about the request.
Therefore, the official on duty informed the Tottori Domain through his
subordinate that Ahn Yong-bok and others had come from Korea to Hoki
Province to make allegations. Around the same time, Ahn Yong-bok and others
set sail for the Tottori Domain, and arrived at Akasaki in the Tottori Domain
on June 4.
When Ahn Yong-bok arrived in Akasaki, his boat displayed a cotton
ship’s mark on the front of it, on which “Taxation General of the Two Islandsof Utsuryo Island, Joseon. Vassal Ahn on Board (朝欝両島監税将臣安同知騎)”
was written on one side, and “Korean Officer Ahn on Board (朝鮮国安同知乗舟),” on the other side. This ship mark was found among the belongings of

Ahn Yong-bok and others examined by the officials at the Oki guardhouse,
and was prepared in advance. The word “Dongji (同知)” on this ship’s seal is
the name of an interpreter in Dongnae-gu, Korea, and the “Dangsanggwan(堂上官),” the title that Ahn Yong-bok used to call himself, was actually the
one referring to a high-ranking official during the Joseon era. Ahn Yongbok used the Korean high official title without permission and smuggled
into the Tottori Domain. In addition, there was no real government official’s
position called “Taxation General.” Inferring from the meaning of the kanji
characters, it could mean a taxation officer in charge of Korea’s Utsuryo Islandand Usan Island. However, there were no people living on Utsuryo Island,
which had been an uninhabited island under Korea’s deserted island policy,
and Matsushima (present-day Takeshima), which Ahn Yong-bok called Usan

21

Island, was a rocky reef that was uninhabitable. For these reasons, it is clearthat “Taxation General” was a false official position.
Despite such a situation, the Tottori Domain ended up being
manipulated by Ahn Yong-bok and others. When the Tottori Domain
was informed of the arrival of the ship at Akasaki, they urgently dispatched
YAMAZAKI Shume, the ships magistrate. As Yamazaki encountered theboat carrying Ahn Yong-bok and others at Nagaohana, he decided to moor
their boat for the time being at the mouth of the Kachibe River in Aoya andquestion them to understand the situation at the Sennenji Temple, which was
located nearby.
TSUJI Banan, a Confucian from the Tottori Domain, conducted thehearing of Ahn Yong-bok and others, trying to find out about the reason for
their visit to Japan through written communication, but the attempt wasreportedly unsuccessful. Therefore, the Tottori Domain transferred the groupof Korean people to Karo by horse and kago, and provided the Tozenji Temple
as their temporary lodging.
When the Tottori Domain was about to move Ahn Yong-bok andothers from Tozenji Temple to Tottori Castle town, they received instructions
from the Shogunate to hand over Ahn Yong-bok and others to the Tsushima
Domain, or to send them back to Korea without letting them make their
allegations. At the same time, an interpreter was sent from the Tsushima
Domain.
Responding to the instructions from the Shogunate, the Tottori Domainmoored the boat of Ahn Yong-bok and others at Lake Koyamaike, andbuilt a boathouse for foreigners on Aoshima Island, located in the lake, toaccommodate them. However, Ahn Yong-bok and others had left the Tottori
Domain before the interpreter from the Tsushima Domain arrived there.

22According to the Tsuko-Ichiran (Compilation of Records on Foreign
Relations), edited by the Edo Shogunate, “When 11 Koreans came to Inaba
Province, this incident was reported to the Edo Shogunate, and then they
were sent back to Korea following the instructions from the Shogunate.” Inpu
Nenpyo (An Official Historical Document from the Tottori Domain) records
the event as “This foreign boat was expelled from the sea of Karo.”
This background can be confirmed with the memorandum, “The visitof Koreans to Inaba Province: what happened, including reporting to Minister
Abe and his response.” This memorandum outlines the treatment given to Ahn
Yong-bok, and the sequence of events behind the smuggling into the Tottori
Domain. It records the fact that the Shogunate instructed the Tottori Domain
to send Ahn Yong-bok to Nagasaki or to expel him. The Tottori Domain had
expelled Ahn Yong-bok in accordance with the instructions of the Shogunate.
Ahn Yong-bok was sent back by the Tottori Domain without negotiatingwith the lord of the Domain or making Utsuryo Island and Usan Island
Korean territory.
It was late August when Ahn Yong-bok and others landed back in Korea.
Ahn Yong-bok and others arrived at the prefectural border in Yangyang,
Gangwon Province, and told the local official, Sim Pyeong, that they had madean allegation case in Japan. When Sim Pyeong reported this to the central
government, the central government ordered Ahn Yong-bok and others to besent to the capital city, and a hearing was going to be conducted by the central
government.
Ahn Yong-bok’s statement made during the hearing is recorded in the
Sukjong Sillok (The Annals of King Sukjong). The Korean history textbook has
been written based on Ahn Yong-bok’s statement.
The history textbook describes Ahn Yong-bok’s smuggling incident as23

follows. “Ahn Yong-bok, a fisherman living in Dongnae, chased away Japanesefishermen coming and going from Utsuryo Island, traveled to Japan, andconfirmed that Dokdo was Korean territory.” However, did this textbook reallyconvey the historical truth?
(5) The Statement by Ahn Yong-bok
What kind of statement did Ahn Yong-bok make? We will now read hisstatement recorded in the Sukjong Sillok and examine the details of thestatement. When Ahn Yong-bok was asked about the reason why he smuggled
into Japan, he made the following statement.
There were various kinds of trees, many hawks, crows, and cats inthe mountains of Utsuryo Island, and there were also many Japanesepeople who visited to stay at the island. All of my companions wereafraid, but I (Ahn Yong-bok) raised my voice and said, “Utsuryo Island
has always been the territory of Korea. Why have you, Japanese people,
crossed the border? We will tie you all up,” and then moved further
ahead of the boat and scolded them loudly.
The Japanese people on the island said, “We have originallybeen living in Matsushima (the name of Takeshima at the time), andwe happened to come here to fish, but we are now heading to Honjo(Matsushima).” So, I said, “Matsushima (present-day Takeshima) is
Jasan Island. That is also our land. Why are you allowed to live there(Matsushima)?”
Finally, the next morning, I pulled the boat and landed on Jasan
Island, where I found Japanese people boiling fish oil in pots that were
lined up. When I smashed them with my cane and scolded them loudly,24

those Japanese people packed up their pots and other items onto theship, hoisted the sails, and headed home. I chased them by boat, butsuddenly I was hit by strong wind and ended up drifting onto the Oki
Islands.
As the lord of the island (lord of Oki Islands) asked me about thereason for my visit, I answered, “During my previous visit, a note writtenby the Kanpaku (Shogun) designating Utsuryo Island and Usan Islandas Korean territory was issued. However, it seems that it has not beenthoroughly practiced in this country (this place). Now your people are
invading our boundaries again. Can this be called reasonable? Therefore,
I request that you tell this fact to the Tottori Domain.”
However, I received no response. I became absolutely furious
and immediately got on the boat to head for the Tottori Domain. At
that time, I tentatively called myself the “Taxation General for both
Utsuryo and Jasan Islands,” and notified the Tottori Domain throughother persons. Then, the Tottori Domain sent some people and horses
to welcome me. I was wearing civilian clothes for officials, a black cloth
hat, leather shoes, and got on a kago. The others rode on their horses’
side by side and proceeded toward the Tottori Domain.
The lord of the island (the lord of the Tottori Domain) and I
sat facing each other on the seats of honor, and many others sat downalongside each other on the lower seats. The lord of the Tottori Domain
asked me, “Why did you come here?” and I answered, “I believe it isclear that an official note recognizing the two islands (Utsuryo Islandand Usan Island) as Korean territory was clearly issued. However, thelord of the Tsushima Domain took it away, sent false envoys between the
Shogunate and the Korean Government, and claimed that Utsuryo Island25

was Japanese territory. Isn’t this a crime of feigning the law? I would liketo appeal to the Kanpaku (Shogun) and clarify the crime (committed by
the Tsushima Domain).” The lord of the Tottori Domain allowed me todo so.
Therefore, I let Lee In-Seong, who was accompanying me, write acomplaint and was about to submit it to the Shogunate. But the fatherof the lord of the Tsushima Domain came forward and told the lord of
the Tottori Domain from the bottom of his heart, “If this complaint isreceived by the Shogunate, my son (the lord of Tsushima) will definitely
be charged with a serious crime and killed. Please do not submit thecomplaint.” This request was granted, and the complaint was not
submitted to the Kanpaku (Shogun).
On the previous day, however, 15 Japanese people who had
violated the border were captured and punished. Following this, (thelord of Tottori Domain) said to me, “The two islands have already beenreturned to Korean territory, and if anyone violates the border again in
the future, the lord of the Tottori Domain will treat all of them as illegal
trespassers and severely punish them. Furthermore, if you send an official
government letter and dispatch an interpreter officer to us, then I willseverely punish those who violate the boundary.”
On top of this, (the lord of the Tottori Domain) offered andprovided me with some food and chose a vassal to escort me back home,
but I declined, saying, “It would cause trouble if I went with him.”(Sukjong Sillok, Volume 30, the 9th month of the 22nd yearof the reign of King Sukjong (1696))26

(6) Let’s Consider the Takeshima Dispute
Have you noticed anything when reading the statement by Ahn Yong-bok?
There are some significant discrepancies between the actual history that has
been revealed so far and Ahn Yong-bok’s statement. Can you point out whichparts they are?
Below is Ahn Yong-bok’s statement divided into several sections. Whatkind of problems can you detect when comparing Ahn Yong-bok’s statementwith historical facts? Think about the following nine items and clarify thehistorical facts.
(1) Regarding the reason for his decision to smuggle into Japan, Ahn Yong-bok
stated that he had encountered Japanese fishermen on Utsuryo Island, washit by strong wind while chasing them, and drifted to Oki Islands. Ahn
Yong-bok also stated that 15 Japanese fishermen who had travelled to
Utsuryo Island were punished. Were these statements true?
(2) Ahn Yong-bok stated that Japanese fishermen were living on Matsushima(present-day Takeshima). Did people live on Matsushima (present-day
Takeshima) at that time?
(3) Ahn Yong-bok stated that he pulled a boat and landed on Matsushima(present-day Takeshima) at dawn. Is there a place on present-day Takeshima
where you can pull a boat ashore?
(4) Ahn Yong-bok stated that Japanese fishermen had pots lined up and wereboiling fish oil on Matsushima (Takeshima). On which island were theOhya and Murakawa families extracting oil from sea lions?
(5) Ahn Yong-bok stated that in Oki, he claimed that Japanese fishermen were
infringing on the boundaries of Korea and requested that the Tottori Domain
be informed of this fact. What was Ahn Yong-bok requesting while in Oki?

27

(6) Ahn Yong-bok stated that the Shogunate had issued a note confirming that
Utsuryo Island and Usan Island were Korean territory. Did the Shogunate
give Ahn Yong-bok, who had been captured as a living witness to crossborder violations, a note stating that Utsuryo Island and Usan Island were
Korean territory?
(7) When Ahn Yong-bok smuggled into the Tottori Domain, he tentatively
called himself the “Taxation General for both Utsuryo and Jasan Islands,”
and the Tottori Domain sent some persons and horses to welcome him,
and then that he entered Tottori Castle town, travelling in a kago and withhorses. Is that true?
(8) When Ahn Yong-bok met with the lord of the Tottori Domain, he said
that the Tsushima Domain had stolen the Shogunate’s note that confirmed
Utsuryo Island and Usan Island as Korean territory and was trying to senda false messenger to take over Utsuryo Island. Was the Tsushima Domain
fighting with the Korean side for sovereignty over Utsuryo Island without
permission from the Shogunate?
(9) Ahn Yong-bok stated that when he tried to complain to the Shogunate
about the crimes committed by the Tsushima Domain with the permissionof the lord of the Tottori Domain, the father of the lord of Tsushima
Domain came and begged the lord of the Tottori Domain to spare thelife of the Tsushima’s lord. But SO Yoshitsugu, the lord of the Tsushima
Domain, died young at the age of 24, the year before Ahn Yong-bok
smuggled into Japan. Is there any credibility to this statement by Ahn
Yong-bok?
Now, what do we notice when we divide Ahn Yong-bok’s statement into nine
items and compare them with historical facts?

28

There seem to be quite significant discrepancies between what is
described in Korean history textbooks. Based on Ahn Yong-bok’s statement, theKorean side made Takeshima Korean territory. For this reason, whenever theJapanese side mentioned the Takeshima dispute, the Korean side has labeled it
as “Japan’s territorial ambitions” and dismissed it as “wild remarks.” However,the statement made by Ahn Yong-bok was obviously false evidence. The
question is why such false evidence has been considered a historical fact on the
Korean side. Next time, we would like to clarify that fact.
In order for Japan and the Korean Peninsula to maintain mutual trustand good-neighborly relations going forward, it will be a prerequisite that theTakeshima dispute be resolved.
After WWII the bilateral relations between Japan and the ROK
deteriorated rapidly after the Government of the ROK declared the “Syngman
Rhee Line” and forced Takeshima into its territory, immediately before
negotiations to normalize diplomatic relations between Japan and the ROK.
The day the Takeshima dispute will be resolved will also be the beginning of
new Japan-ROK relations.

29[Photo provided/owned by:]Pages

Cover photo..........Provided by KUWABARA Shisei
P. 1 Photo 1........Provided by KUWABARA Shisei
P. 4 Photo 2........Provided by TANAKA Kunitaka
P. 6 Photo 3........Collection of the Tottori Prefectural Museum
P. 7 Photo 4........Provided by Takeshima Reference Room
P. 8 Photo 5........Provided by Takeshima Reference Room
P. 10 Photo 6........Collection of the Yonago Municipal History Museum

[Profile of the Author]

SHIMOJO Masao
Born in Nagano Prefecture in 1950. Holds a PhD from Kokugakuin
University. Served as a head lecturer at Samsung Research Institutein Korea in 1983, and was a visiting professor at Incheon National
University, before returning to Japan in 1998. He took the positionof professor at the Institute for International Development, Takushoku
University, in 1999, and became a professor in the Department ofAsia Pacific Studies, Faculty of International Development in 2000,
and retired in March 2021. From April, he became a visiting professor
at Shimane Prefectural University and Tokai University. In June, hebecame a Professor Emeritus at Takushoku University and still holds
the same position.
Dr. Shimojo majored in Japanese history. He served as the Chair of
the First to Third Shimane Takeshima Issue Research Group and was
also the former director of the Web Takeshima Issue Research. He is
the author of Japan and Korea: How To Overcome History (Tendensha),
Does Takeshima Belong to Japan or Korea? (Bunshun Shinsho), andother publications.