Dokdo Issue, Question 1 Again This Year Following Last Year
It has been revealed that question number 1 in the Korean Geography section of the 2025 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) held on the 14th was about 'Dokdo.' Recently, questions related to Dokdo have been continuously included in the CSAT.
This year’s CSAT Korean Geography question number 1 showed satellite images, latitude and longitude, and area information of Korea’s westernmost point (Maando, Yongcheon-gun, Pyeonganbuk-do), easternmost point (Dokdo, Ulleung-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do), and southernmost point (Marado, Seogwipo, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province), and asked about understanding Korea’s territory and territorial waters, according to Yonhap News on the 19th.
In this regard, Lee Kyung-gon, Director of the Marine and Fisheries Bureau of Gyeongbuk Province, stated, "Recently, the Japanese government has started remodeling the Territorial Sovereignty Exhibition Hall to expand its territorial sovereignty claims. In the village of Oki Island, a basic local government, distorted Dokdo sovereignty rallies were held using middle school students. In this context, the appearance of a Dokdo-related question in the CSAT is a meaningful event," he emphasized.
He added, "We will cooperate with the education office to support Dokdo Protection Priority Schools and to revitalize Dokdo education."
Questions related to Dokdo have been steadily included in recent CSATs. Over the past 10 years (2016?2025 CSAT), except for only two occasions in 2018 and 2021, Dokdo questions have appeared every year.
The Dokdo question from item 1 of the 2024 Korean Geography exam held last year. Captured from an online community.
For example, in the 2024 CSAT held last year, question number 1 was also about Dokdo. It showed the topography of Gageodo in Sinan-gun, Marado in Jeju, and Dokdo, then asked detailed information about the locations of each area. Additionally, last year, the word 'Dokdo' appeared in the passage and images mentioning the Unyo Incident in question number 7 of Korean History.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that cases of Japanese high school social studies textbooks labeling Dokdo as 'Japanese territory' are increasing. As of 2022, most high school social studies textbooks approved by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology included the Japanese government’s claim that 'Dokdo is Japanese land.'
According to data from the domestic civic group 'Asia Peace and History Education Solidarity,' specifically, among a total of 26 types of textbooks used by high school students in grade 2 or above, including Japanese History Inquiry (7 types), World History Inquiry (7 types), Comprehensive Geography (1 type), Geography Inquiry (3 types), Maps (1 type), and Politics and Economics (1 type), 21 types (81%) reflected content related to claims of sovereignty over Dokdo.
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