Dear the writer of the article in India Today Web Desk(New Delhi),

Hello, I’m Serine Lee, a student from South Korea. I am a student volunteer trying to rectify any errors about South Korea in any websites or online pictures and send e-mails to ask for correction.

I really enjoyed the article telling something very interesting about an island going entirely missing. But, the map of Japan with the names of ‘Sea of Japan’ and ‘Takeshima’ caught my eyes, since I am a volunteer rectifying errors. So I am writing this e-mail to ask you to change the picture in your article. 

I have several reasons why the names ‘Takeshima’ is wrong.

First, even an important Japanese document on the An Yong-bok Incident, “One-volume Memorandum Concerning the Korean Boat that Came Alongside the Pier in the 9th Year of Genroku,” which was discovered in Oki Island in 2005, also clearly shows that Ulleungdo and Dokdo were islands under the jurisdiction of Gangwon-do (or Gangwon Province) of Joseon(the name of Korea from 1392 ~ 1894).

Second, In the original edition of The Revised Complete Map of Japanese Lands and Roads, which is a map privately made in 1779, Ulleungdo and Dokdo are uncolored as is the Korean Peninsula. Also, the two islands are located outside the grid of Japan’s longitudinal and latitudinal lines, indicating that the islands are outside of Japanese territory.

 It could be seen as a minor issue, but I believe that knowing the fact is important to everyone who visits your website. Therefore I’m hoping the fact is reflected in the website. Thank you for reading.