Joguk Unfolds Taegeukgi on Dokdo... Who Was the First Politician to Visit Dokdo? [NewsSeolCham]

(18) Politicians Who Visited Dokdo
First Sitting President MB - First Party Leader Park
Japanese Group Also Filed Complaints Against MB and Park... Ultimately Not Prosecuted
Jeon Yong-gi Conducted Dokdo Cleanup During Last Year's Contaminated Water Discharge

Editor's Note'Seolcham' is a newly coined term meaning to refer to detailed explanations. In [News Seolcham], we aim to pinpoint and explain in more detail the parts of the news that require fact-checking or further explanation.

Dokdo is once again drawing attention. The Yoon Seok-yeol administration has worked hard to restore Korea-Japan relations through seven summit meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio this year, but recently, due to administrative guidance from the Japanese government causing the so-called 'Line Incident,' opposition parties have increasingly criticized the government's diplomatic stance toward Japan. Jo Guk, leader of the Jo Guk Innovation Party, visited Dokdo, and Japan expressed regret. The visit of a prominent politician to Dokdo carries the meaning of declaring to both domestic and international audiences that Dokdo is our land, which inevitably causes discomfort for Japan, which insists on unfounded claims over Dokdo's sovereignty.

Jo Guk, leader of the Jo Guk Innovation Party, visited Dokdo in Ulleung County, Gyeongbuk on the 13th and posed for a commemorative photo holding the Taegeukgi flag. [Image provided by Jo Guk Innovation Party, Yonhap News]

Among former and current presidents, only three have visited Dokdo: former Presidents Park Geun-hye, Lee Myung-bak, and Moon Jae-in. The first sitting president to visit Dokdo was Lee Myung-bak. On August 10, 2012, five days before Liberation Day, he visited Dokdo, received a briefing from the head of the security detachment, and emphasized, "Dokdo is truly our territory and a place worth protecting with our lives," urging, "Let us protect it with pride."

Dokdo is Korean territory that any Korean can visit at any time. However, visits by Korean politicians to Dokdo often become a trigger for freezing Korea-Japan relations due to Japan's strong opposition, claiming it as a "sovereignty infringement." When former President Lee visited Dokdo, Japan continued its unfounded claims by describing Dokdo as its inherent territory in its Defense White Paper, which led to a deterioration in Korea-Japan relations. At that time, the Japanese government strongly protested by immediately summoning the Japanese ambassador to Korea, claiming there was no prior notification.

Former President Moon Jae-in visited Dokdo in July 2016 when he was a leading presidential candidate, encouraging the security personnel. About a month before Liberation Day, he visited Dokdo and Ulleungdo for a 2-night, 3-day trip to reaffirm the importance of territorial sovereignty. After touring the island's facilities with the security chief's guidance, he boosted the morale of the security personnel by dining with them.

Former President Park Geun-hye visited Dokdo in October 2005 when she was the leader of the Grand National Party. This was the first visit to Dokdo by a sitting party leader. Additionally, in July 2008, then Democratic Party leader Chung Sye-kyun visited Dokdo with Kim Min-seok, Park Joo-sun, and Kim Jin-pyo, senior party members, unfurling a large Taegeukgi flag and reading a statement declaring, "Japan's claim of sovereignty over Dokdo is a clear provocative act infringing on the Republic of Korea's sovereignty and territorial rights, and we will fight to the end."

In August 2013, former Democratic Party leader Kim Han-gil visited Dokdo with senior party members and stated regarding the Japanese government's inclusion of Dokdo as Japanese territory in its Defense White Paper, "No outrageous statement or distortion can change the fact that Dokdo is Korean land," and urged "the Japanese government to awaken so that a new future for Korea-Japan relations can open."

The first sitting Prime Minister and National Assembly Speaker to visit Dokdo were former Prime Minister Han Seung-soo (July 2008) and former Speaker Kim Hyung-o (April 2010), respectively. Besides these, there have been several visits to Dokdo by the National Assembly's Defense Committee during parliamentary inspection periods.

Last year, when the issue of contaminated water discharge from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant arose, Democratic Party lawmaker Jeon Yong-gi visited Dokdo twice. Accompanied by the Youth Committee and University Student Committee, he said, "The Japanese government and media claim sovereignty over Dokdo and try to instill incorrect history even among innocent Japanese people," urging, "Japan must stop its attempts to invade our territory, Dokdo."

Japan reacts sensitively every time a politician visits Dokdo, summoning its ambassador to Korea. On the 13th, following Jo Guk's visit to Dokdo, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release stating, "Despite prior requests to refrain, the visit was carried out," and claimed, "Considering historical facts and international law, Dokdo is clearly Japan's inherent territory, so this is absolutely unacceptable and extremely regrettable."

During the visits of former Presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak to Dokdo, political groups in Japan even filed complaints. However, the Japanese prosecutors dismissed the cases, stating, "Since the president is a head of state, under international customs, Japan has no jurisdiction," thus closing the incidents.