Today October 25th marks the 20th Dokdo Day, commemorating South Korea's easternmost islets that have special historical significance to the country and the Korean people.
In celebration of the day, we look at the efforts that have been made to protect the islands.
Lee Kyung-eun reports.
On this day in 1900, Korea first declared Dokdo as its territory.
King Gojong of the Korean Empire made a statement against Japan, which was attempting to dispossess the Korean Peninsula of its properties ahead of its invasion.
"When it comes to claiming sovereignty of Dokdo, Korea made such a statement before Japan."
One hundred years later, a private organization A Party for Tokdo Protection designated October 25th as Dokdo Day,... with this year marking the 20th such day.
Despite the historical evidence, Tokyo, until this day, claims its ownership over the islands, calling them Takeshima.
So Seoul continues its fight, backed by the people's collective efforts.
"Government efforts are important, but efforts at the civilian level are changing a lot."
Many South Koreans have voluntarily participated in campaigns protecting Dokdo, and one of their major agendas was letting the world know that Dokdo belongs to Korea.
They pressured global firms like Apple and Google to rename the disputed islands to Dokdo,… while sharing related contents on social media like Youtube and Instagram to raise global awareness.
Even young students have played their part.
Some middle and high school students from Cheongsim International Academy have created a statue of the symbol of Dokdo, Gangchi, which is a species of sea lion currently at risk of extinction. They donated the statue to a museum on Japanese colonial history.
They also visit the islands each year, wrote a book on Gangchi and raise funds by selling related goods to continue their activities.
All these efforts play a crucial role in protecting Dokdo, and will continue in the future.
Lee Kyung-eun, Arirang News.
