Kim Woo-young Gwanggyo Column Dokdo Called Takeshima? Teacher Lee Jong-hak Would Be Outraged!

Recently, Professor Seo Kyoung-duk of Sungshin Women's University revealed that "when 'Dokdo' is translated into Japanese on Google Translate, the result comes out as 'Takeshima' (竹島), a name arbitrarily claimed only by Japan, not 'Dokdo' (독도). This is a clear error."

I do not hate Japan. Let me rephrase: excluding far-rightists, anti-Korea advocates, and politicians with distorted views on historical issues like the Japanese colonial period and Dokdo, I have affection for the many kind and conscientious Japanese people.

In fact, the Japanese people I have met are truly good-hearted. They are notably considerate toward others. Typical examples are members of the Himeji Harima Hangul Research Association, an overseas sister organization of the Hwaseong Research Association to which I belong.

Every time we exchange visits, the sincerity they demonstrate through their actions has moved us.

However, the behavior of the group I mentioned earlier provokes not only my anger but also public fury. What made this anger even greater was Google's search result for "Takeshima."

Had Teacher Lee Jong-hak been alive, he would have immediately gone to Google headquarters and protested strongly.

Saun (史芸) Lee Jong-hak (李鍾學, 1927-2002) was a bibliographer and collector of historical materials from Suwon who devoted his entire life to collecting materials on Dokdo, General Yi Sun-sin, Japanese invasion history, and anti-Japanese resistance movements.

He is listed in the 'Suwon City Hall of Fame' at the entrance of Suwon City Hall, and the 'Saun Room (史芸室)' at the Suwon Gwanggyo Museum houses precious materials donated by him.

In particular, to prove that Dokdo is our territory, he visited Japan more than 50 times and discovered various materials. In November 2002, the year the World Cup was held in Korea, Teacher Lee passed away and donated an enormous amount of related materials to the Dokdo Museum, Independence Hall of Korea, Hyungchungsa, and Suwon City.

Ahead of March 1st, 2018, I reflected on the teacher in a Gyeonggi Newspaper editorial as follows:

"The teacher emphasized to those around him during his lifetime that 'the mission to protect Dokdo transcends North and South, so we must combine our efforts.' In March 2001, he also held the first inter-Korean historical materials exhibition at the People's Study Hall in Pyongyang, North Korea. At the time, the exhibition materials were also made public to our citizens through a special exhibition at the Dokdo Museum. In October of last year, the Suwon Gwanggyo Museum, which displays and preserves materials donated by Teacher Lee Jong-hak, held a special exhibition titled 'Dokdo: Recording and Remembering' jointly with the Ulleungdo and Dokdo Museum. This March 1st, I hope we will also remember Teacher Lee Jong-hak, who collected and donated materials on Dokdo throughout his life, together with the sublime spirit of anti-Japanese resistance of patriotic forebears."

I first met the teacher in 1986 during the compilation of the Suwon City History. My first impression was of 'a very principled and obstinate person who knew no compromise.' The teacher participated as a member of the editorial committee, and I served as a member of the writing committee, writing sections on culture and the arts and some administrative matters.

Since we met in a professional capacity and there was a 30-year age difference between us, we were not particularly close.

In 1990, when I was working as a culture reporter at the Joongbu Ilbo, a daily newspaper based in Suwon, the teacher visited me at the newspaper office. He handed me materials related to independence movement activities in this region during the Japanese colonial period, and the article covering this became the front-page lead story. After that, whenever he discovered new materials, he would summon me to a Chinese restaurant called Gogeupdanjeom located in front of Suwon Girls' High School. The materials were mostly about Japanese oppression and the activities of independence activists who stood against it. Those articles mostly became front-page or society section leads.

Once he handed me a thick envelope of documents. It contained materials related to the first inter-Korean historical materials exhibition held at the People's Study Hall in Pyongyang on March 1, 2001. It included exhibition pamphlets, clippings from the North Korean newspaper 'Rodong Sinmun' praising the exhibition, and photographs from the event.

The teacher did not usually drink alcohol. But on that occasion, he drank a couple of glasses of strong baijiu.

"I said this in North Korea. Based on this evidence, even North Korea should properly receive the apology and reparations that we have not been able to receive. The mission to protect Dokdo transcends North and South, so we must combine our efforts."

This remark remains unforgotten even 25 years later.

As mentioned above, Teacher Lee devoted his entire life to proving that 'Dokdo is the inherent territory of the Republic of Korea.' To find materials on Dokdo, he regularly visited Japanese libraries and antiquarian book dealers at his own expense.

These precious historical materials he collected are now displayed in the Saun Room of the Suwon Gwanggyo Museum.

Some of the historical sources on Dokdo were donated to the Dokdo Museum (Ulleunggun), Korea's first territorial museum that opened in 1997.

The Suwon Gwanggyo Museum contains the 'Samguk Jeop Yangji Map (三国接壤地図)' and other materials on Dokdo that clearly indicate Ulleungdo and Dokdo as Korean territory, as well as precious materials including General Yi Sun-sin's 'Yi Chungmugong Jeonjseo,' Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, Gando, and Geumgangsan.

The historical records clearly show that Dokdo is the territory of the Republic of Korea.

However, the Japanese government unilaterally changed Dokdo to Takeshima (竹島) in 1905 and incorporated it into Shimane Prefecture. The Shimane Prefecture Assembly in Japan passed an ordinance in 2005 designating February 22 each year as 'Takeshima Day.' Korean anger reached its peak, and our government responded by fully allowing Korean citizens to visit Dokdo on March 17 of the same year.

The Japanese government's historical distortions and claims of sovereignty over Dokdo are becoming increasingly blatant.

In response, there is growing consensus on the need to designate 'Dokdo Day' as a national commemoration day.

To reiterate, Google's error in labeling Dokdo as Takeshima must be corrected immediately.

Only then will Teacher Saun in the afterlife be somewhat relieved of his concerns.

This weekend, I should visit the Saun Lee Jong-hak Materials Room at the Suwon Gwanggyo Museum and pay my respects to the teacher's legacy.