Academic Rebuttal to Japan’s Territorial Claims Over Dokdo and Legal Issues in International Law

Reaffirming the Historical Significance of Dokdo Research

Award Ceremony for Graduate Student Paper Competition on Dokdo Studies Also Held

[February 24, 2025]

<2025 YU Dokdo Research Institute Academic Conference>

 The Dokdo Research Institute at Yeungnam University (Director: Professor CHOI Jae-mok) will host an academic conference on February 26 at the YU Law Library’s video conference room under the theme “Interdisciplinary Research on the Illegality of Japan’s 1905 Annexation of Dokdo.” This event comes as Japan nears the 120th anniversary of its claim that it incorporated Dokdo into Shimane Prefecture on February 22, 1905. The conference aims to present scholarly rebuttals to Japan’s territorial claims and examine the issue from an international legal perspective.

 The conference will feature presentations by prominent scholars:

 Professor PARK Ji-young (YU Dokdo Research Institute): A Historical Review of Japan’s Annexation Process of Dokdo

 Professor OH Si-jin (Kangwon National University Law School): Colonialism and the Legal Doctrine of Occupation Under International Law

 Professor CHOI Ji-hyun (Jeju National University Law School): A Re-examination of the Criticism Against the 1905 Shimane Prefecture Notice

 Dr. HONG Sung-geun (Northeast Asian History Foundation’s Dokdo Research Institute): A Legal Analysis of Japan’s “Territorial Incorporation” of Dokdo

 This year marks the 20th anniversary of Japan’s designation of “Takeshima Day” in Shimane Prefecture. Amid escalating provocations fueled by Japan’s historical distortions, the conference aims to explore effective countermeasures. The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) has mandated that, starting in 2024, all elementary, middle, and high school social studies textbooks label Dokdo as Japan’s “inherent territory” and claim that Korea is illegally occupying it.  Additionally, since 2008, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has distributed multilingual materials titled “10 Points to Understand the Takeshima Issue” in an effort to spread its territorial claims internationally.

Professor CHOI Jae-mok, Director of the YU Dokdo Research Institute, emphasized, “Japan’s distorted education on Dokdo disrupts cooperation in East Asia and perpetuates historical conflicts for future generations.” He further stated, “This conference will clearly demonstrate that Japan’s 1905 annexation of Dokdo was illegal under international law and historically baseless.” He reiterated the institute’s commitment to strengthening academic research and international cooperation to reaffirm Dokdo as an indisputable part of Korea’s sovereign territory.

 Prior to the conference, the Dokdo Research Institute will hold an award ceremony for its Dokdo Research Paper Competition for graduate students. The Grand Prize will be awarded to CHAE Song-ah and LEE Jung-min (YU Graduate School), while KIM Young-geun (Wonkwang University Graduate School) will receive the Encouragement Award. This competition aims to foster emerging scholars and invigorate academic research on Dokdo.