Sarah Berlow, '13- Korea Institute Summer Research Travel Grant in South Korea-Summer 2013

After being given the opportunity to intern in South Korea last summer by the Korea Institute, I was fortunate enough to be given funding again by KI to spend this August in Seoul for thesis research. My thesis topic involves the disputed territory between Japan and South Korea. The territory is called Dokdo in Korea, Takeshima in Japan, and Liancourt Rocks in other situations. Located just over 87 km from Ulleung Island in Korea and more than 110 km from Oki Island in japan, the territory has continued to be an issue in Japan-Korea relations since the early 1950s. My thesis research looks back at when Japan and Korea were normalizing relations in the 1960s and asks was why this issue has become so serious today when the two states were able to normalize relations without solving the dispute.

My thesis research centered around interviewing several professors in Korea and receiving advice on further research materials and information on the topic and the time period. In addition, I received a tour of the Dokdo Museum founded in 2011 by the Northeast Asian History Foundation, which works to provide evidence for the Korean ownership of Dokdo and disprove Japan’s territorial claims.

I also visited Ulleung Island to visit the Dokdo Museum and attempt to see the Dokdo from the 87.4km distance between it and Ulleung Island. Although cloudy and windy weather conditions prevented visibility, the visit to Ulleung Island, whose tourism centers mostly on these long and exhausting visits to Dokdo was a fascinating experience. This year has seen a rise in visits to Dokdo by Korean tourists. The trip itself includes a rocky twice-per-day, three-hour ferry ride to Ulleung Island from Gangneung on the Eastern coast of Korea (about a four-hour drive from Seoul), and another ferry ride to Dokdo, which is often cancelled due to dangerous tides.

I want to thank the Korea Institute for providing me with funding for this research opportunity. I appreciate the kindness and support I have received along the way, and am grateful for the amazing experience I was able to have thanks to the institute’s generosity.