Is Dokdo Japanese Territory? VANK Corrects Another Error Over Dokdo

The cyber diplomats, VANK, (www.prkorea.com), announced on May 29 that WorldMAP (www.worldmap.org), a portal site for global maps, has recently corrected its error of marking Dokdo as Japanese territory.

So far, the WorldMAP has indicated that Dokdo belongs to Japan in three of its maps, and on one map, it stated that Shimane Prefecture owned Dokdo.

In addition, Geocortex (www.Geocortex.net), an internet mapping network, has marked Ulleungdo as belonging to Shimane Prefecture (Shimane-ken).

The Geocortex is a famous Canadian global mapping network that offers mapping services throughout the Americas.

The VANK (Voluntary Agency Network of Korea) opened a manager’s e-mail address to the public after it found out in March that the above-mentioned two sites provided incorrect information, and members of VANK and netizens have demanded the two sites rectify the information via e-mail. Subsequently, WorldMAP recently deleted the part in which it marked Dokdo as Japanese territory, and Geocortex has clearly stated Ulleungdo is part of Korea.

The VANK is presuming that every month, approximately its 400 to 500 of its members are emailing managers of the internet sites worldwide. Thanks to the members’ tireless activities, a total of 312 internet sites worldwide have corrected their errors concerning Korea.

The VANK is currently planning to launch a large-scale movement for the correction of errors on the online version of the Economist, a United Kingdom political and economic magazine, because it is still indicating Dokdo as Japanese territory, despite requests to amend its information.

Park Ki-tae, a planning director of VANK, noted, “Ordinary people forced the revision of incorrect information by consistently informing the world that Dokdo is Korean territory,” and emphasized that Korea should not give up correcting errors regarding its territory before it has really started.

Yi-Young Cho lycho@donga.com