In 1454, it is recorded in the Geography Section of the Annals of King Sejong¡¯s Reign, one of Joseon¡¯s early government compilations, that both Ulleungdo and Dokdo belong to the Uljin county of Gangwon Province. It specifically notes that ¡°The two islands of Usan [Dokdo] and Mureung [Ulleungdo] are not located far apart from each other so Dokdo is visible from Ulleungdo on a clear day.¡± Dokdo is the only island that is visible from Ulleungdo without visual aid.
There was also an event in 1696. This was an incident where An Yong-bok sailed to Japan, chasing out Japanese fishing vessels which were fishing around Ulleungdo. A historical document entitled, ¡°Memorandum on the Arrival of a Boat from Joseon in 1696¡± records that An Yong-bok informed officials on Oki Island that Ulleungdo and Dokdo belonged to Gangwon-do.
Lastly, in 1951, The Treaty of Peace with Japan is a treaty which the Allied Powers concluded with Japan at the close of World War II. Article 2(a) provides that ¡°Japan recognizing the independence of Korea, renounces all right title and claim to Korea, including the islands of Quelpart, Port Hamilton and Dagelet.¡± Among Korea¡¯s approximately 3,000 islands, these three islands have been referred to as examples, and therefore, the mere fact that Dokdo is not named in the said article, does not suggest that Dokdo is not included among those territories of Korea that have been separated from Japan