Dokdo: The Beating Pulse of the San Francisco Peace Treaty

Special Citation, 3rd Dokdo International Essay Competition, South Korea

It is unquestionable that Korea and Japan are two of the most progressive nations in the world. These two countries share impeccable cultural interactions for over a thousand years, but also thrive on a historic legacy of unresolved issues that have transpired during Japan’s 35-year imperial rule of Korea. 

Today, Korea and Japan find themselves colliding yet again in a heated contention that deems detrimental to their 47-year old diplomatic relations-the territorial dispute over Dokdo, a group of Islets composed of Dongdo and Seodo, lying equidistant between the two dragon nations of East Asia. The said dispute brings the two countries back to realms of the past, particularly at the end of World War II.

History dictates that Japan yielded to World War II’s Allied Forces on August 15, 1945. The Allied Forces were composed of nations opposing the AXIS Powers, including the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Poland, Greece, and China.

After Japan was completely occupied by Allied Forces on September 2, 1945, it was convened with the Supreme Command for Allied Powers Instruction Note (SCAPIN) 667 Directive stating that Dokdo is part of Korea’s territory.  But SCAPIN was not final, thus came the need for stronger pact to “seal the deal” between the Allied Powers and Japan. This gave birth to the San Francisco Treaty.

The San Francisco Treaty signifies the end of World War II and Japan’s Imperialistic Rule. It was signed by 48 nations on September 8, 1951 at the War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, United States, and took effect on April 28, 1952.

Based on tangible copies obtained by Korean government, the first five drafts of the San Francisco Treaty indicate Dokdo as Korean Territory.

This was clearly stated in Article 6 of the Treaty, which denounces Japan’s rights and titles to the Korean Mainland territory and offshore islands, including Quelport (Saishu  To) Nan How Group (San To or Komun Do), which forms Port Hamilton (Tonsikai),  Dagelet Islands, (Utsuryo to or Hatsushima ) and Liancourt Rocks (Takeshima). Korea’s unquestionable rights and full sovereignty over Dokdo islets were further strengthened in the treaty’s Seventh draft.

However, The US State Department was the sole member of the Allied Forces to recognize that Dokdo belongs to Japan, as indicated in the 6^th and 8^th drafts of the San Francisco Peace Treaty.  

USA was solely the member of Allied Forces to claim that Dokdo was Japanese territory, and encouraged its rule of Dokdo during the course of World War II.

However, Australia, New Zealand, and UK raised their objections to this draft, and rallied behind the April 1951 draft that gave recognition to Dokdo as part of Korea. Because of this, US held secret meetings with UK.

After seven talks, the Allied Forces came up with the final and official draft of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, which excludes Dokdo from the identified Japanese territories.

It was stated in Article 2, Paragraph (a), “Japan, recognizing the independence of Korea, renounces all right, title, and claim to Korea, including the islands of Quelpart, Port Hamilton, and Dagelet”. Liancourt was not mentioned, nevertheless, unenclosed in the Japanese territories defined by the San Francisco Peace Treaty.

The “Land of the Rising Sun” sanctified the San Francisco Treaty and pronounced it in the September 6, 1951 issue of Mainichi, a major local Japanese Newspaper founded in 1872, and their only local publication to win a Pulitzer Prize. Mainichi and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan collaborated to produce a map that defines Dokdo as Korean Territory.

In January of the following year, Korea claimed the Lee Line (Peace Line) in the East Sea to solidify its claim of the Dokdo Islets.

At present, there are two permanent Korean residents in the island, Kim Sung-Do and Kim Shin-yeol. There are also 37 South Korean Police Officers, three Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries personnel, and three light house  keepers.

Dokdo was designated by the Korean Government as Natural Monument No. 336 because of its strong historic, economical, ecological, and geographical significance. It holds an enormous deposit of Methane Hydrate, commonly known as Burning Ice, which can suffice Korea’s power supply for more than a quarter of a century.

It is also holds a bountiful resource of fish and aquatic creatures like abalone, neon damselfish, and yellowtail. Chinese Asparagus and New Zealand Spinach also grow in its soils.

Instead of aggravating the wounds of the past, Japan must begin creating a better history. It must focus on addressing major issues such as dwindling birth rate and lack of natural resources. With humility and dignity, Japan must surrender its legally-baseless claim over Dokdo, admit to its lapses in disregarding the San Francisco Peace Treaty, to truly live up to its reputation as the “Land of The Rising Sun”, before all chances are gone.