1948 US Confidential Documents: "Dokdo is Korean Territory"
Creatrip Team
13 days ago
A 222-page classified file donated to the Northeast Asian History Foundation reveals a 1948 U.S. Far East Air Forces report stating that Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo) was "definitely established in September 1947 as a part of Korea." Professor Jeon Gap-saeng provided the documents from the U.S. National Archives (NARA). The file, titled the "1948 Dokdo bombing incident report," includes orders requiring 15-day notice to Korean authorities before using Dokdo for bombing drills, a June 1948 submission by Uljin (Ulleungdo) officials explaining why Dokdo belongs to Korea, and earlier evidence such as a 1906 report by county head Sim Heung-taek. The discovery fills a gap in primary sources documenting Korea’s territorial claims to Dokdo during the immediate postwar period.
