[독도와 도쿄올림픽과 외로운 섬 독도(獨島)에 관한 제안 1편(Tokyo Olympics and “Dokdo(獨島)”, Namely Only Lonely Island)]
독도(獨島) 이슈에 대해 국내와는 달리 아직까지 외신(SNS포함)에서는 단 한 줄도 다루고 있지 않고 있다. (‘Dokto’ issue appears neither as stories nor as articles in global media including SNS as yet, even though Korean media and local heavy weight politicians including local civic groups claim even Olympic boycott at the up-coming Tokyo2020 Games.)
왜일까? (Why is that?)이마도 힘의 논리? (Perhaps ‘Theory of Power’? Or ‘Power Play’?)
그래서 필자는 조심스럽게 또 개인적으로 생각하는 독도 해법에 대하여 상생하는 입장에서 늦지 않게 이 문제를 해결할 수 있는 독도 및 건전한 제안을 영어로(혹시 외신이나 외국 친구들과의 공감대 형성을 꾀하기 위하여)하고자 한다. (With this in mind, I decided to carefully and personally touch upon ‘Dokto’ and some sound suggestions to solve this issue sooner than later on a win-win basis.)
*Series I: Could ‘Dokto Issue’ Serve as a Bridge Over the Troubled Waters?
‘Dokdo’ is a group of small islets in the East Sea, and, in fact, has been legitimately controlled and governed by Korea.
It belongs to Ullenug Isalnd County of the Republic of Korea. ‘Dokto’ is designated as Nature Reserve.
‘Dokdo’ literally means “lonely island” or “solitary island”.
‘Dokdo’ is also called “the Liancourt Rocks” by France or ‘’Takeshima’, meaning “bamboo island” by Japan.
According to the data in the Wikipedia, the sovereignty of ‘Dokto’ has been contested by Japan despite its obvious status belonging to Korea, evidenced by various medieval historical records, maps, and encyclopedia recognized by international society under international law.
One of the reasons why Japan claims Dokto’s sovereignty would perhaps be that it lies in rich fishing grounds that may contain large deposits of natural gas. While a Korean fisher started to live in Dokto since 1965, and as of February 2017, Dokto was resided by two Korean civilians, two government officials, six lighthouse managers, and 40 members of the coast guard.
They are permanent residents of Dokdo.
As noticed, sovereignty over Dokdo has been an on-going point of contention between Korea and Japan despite the fact of Korea’s effective control of Dokdo. It is known that South Korea and North Korea agree that Dokdo is Korean territory and reject Japan’s claim.
In particular, the Korean National Assembly enacted the “Special Act on the Preservation of Ecosystem in Island Areas including Dokdo Island” on 13 December 1997.
The title of “Natural Monument No. 336, and the Dokdo Seaweed Habitat was changed to the ‘Dokto Nature Reserve’ in December 1999, in accordance with “Dokto History Chronology” of The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea.
Likewise, it became an undisputed fact that Dokto is Korean territory.
Recently, even former Japanese Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio disclosed in his SNS that ‘Dokto’ belongs to Korean territory as recognized by the United States.
One thing very clear is that even former Japanese Prime Minister confessed the substantial truth about Dokto.
In a nutshell, fact is fact, and Dokto is Dokdo. No more.
However, as human-beings make mistakes, people of Korea, those of Japan and many other countries are not an exception. “To Err is human, to Forgive is Divine.
An unknown saint once mentioned that “Our Major in Life is Mistakes, and our Life is Characterized by Deficiency.”
Our human life is an unfinished symphony.
Therefore, if and when we understand each other and accept the facts, there would be no conflict, nor contention.
Dokdo issue perhaps would and could rather serve as a Bridge Over the Troubled Waters between Korea and Japan, Japan and Korea through the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer.
And Korea and Japan would hopefully be born again as good neighbors. This situation reminds me of a four-character idiom being equally used in Korea, Japan and even China: “轉禍爲福” meaning “to turn a misfortune into a blessing”.
It is my sincere wish that Dokto issue would serve that purpose between the two close neighboring countries above and beyond the short-sighted self-interest.
Life is about dancing in the storm, rather than about just waiting for the timing when the storm is over.
I would like to call it a true sense of the Olympic Values of “Excellence, Friendship, and Respect,”
Wishing Korea and Japan to be born again as very good neighbors,
*Matthew 22:39 “Love your neighbor as yourself”
Prof. Rocky YOON Kang-ro, Ph.D.
President of International Sport Diplomacy Institute
