Even as the drama over the U.S. position on the sovereignty of Dokdo subsides, questions remain: What motivated the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to reclassify Dokdo from Korean to ¡°undesignated" sovereignty in July and then to reverse this move days later, and what does it say about Korea¡¯s past and future Dokdo policies?

Seoul handled the crisis reasonably well, says Dr. Youngshik Bong of American University¡¯s School of International Service, but it was definitely not a random, isolated incident.

Speaking at the KORUS House on August 13, Bong, an expert on East Asian territorial disputes, explained the origins of Washington¡¯s delicate balancing act on the issue, and how effective Korea¡¯s policy has been.

Anxiety in Washington over Dokdo

For the United States, the worst outcome that can come from any island dispute in East Asia is its own military intervention, Bong said. This is especially problematic in the case of Dokdo, the United States having maintained a close military alliance with the Republic of Korea since the Korean War, and being also bound by the U.S.-Japan Mutual Security Treaty.

¡°If there were armed conflict¡¦the United States would be under tremendous political pressure and a military burden to decide whether to intervene or not.¡±

The original change by the U.S. BGN and then its reversal of Dokdo¡¯s sovereignty status as Korean several days later at the insistence of President Bush are thus not contradictory, Bong said.

¡°The BGN designation of Dokdo as undesignated sovereignty reflects this concern to further declare the official position of the United States concerning East Asian island disputes: that first, the United States has no authority to make any [decision] on sovereignty claims laid by various parties to the islands, and second, American forces would not be used in the event of conflict near the islands.¡±

¡°I think the Bush administration shortly realized the new [designation of Dokdo¡¯s sovereignty] was likely to do more harm than good to maintain the hands-off policy of the United States.¡±

What Worked

¡°I think the secret of success for the Korean government [in dealing with the U.S. BGN]¡¦was to appeal to the general principle of fairness and international law,¡± Bong said. ¡°Not portraying Korea¡¯s opposition to the designation...as a subject of international dispute, but emphasizing the lack of consistency and fairness on the part of U.S. policy,¡± when compared to other island disputes between Japan and Russia or between Japan and China.

As a result, Bong said, the events of 2008 show that Dokdo is an issue that should not be looked at in isolation, but in concert with other contested East Asian islands.

¡°Whatever change happens to Dokdo will directly affect the Senkaku islands and the Southern Kurils, and vice versa. They evolve together.¡±


What Did Not Work

¡°What did not work? What did more harm than good for Korea? I would highlight the emotionally and politically charged responses to Japan¡¯s claims over the islands and the change of the Dokdo islands status in the United States. That would work for a domestic audience¡¦but the downside of this policy¡¦is that it strengthens the image of Dokdo as a subject of international conflict and dispute.¡±

It was not because Korea¡¯s diplomatic effort was too quiet that the U.S. BGN issue came about, Bong said, but because it had gradually become too loud, deviating from the original principles of quiet and measured diplomacy.

¡°That action-reaction between Japan and South Korea—whether it was intended or not—made Dokdo, compared to other island disputes in East Asia, stand out as a dangerous area to the United States with the potential of sucking U.S. armed forces into an unwanted situation,¡± said Bong, referring to the back-and-forth between Korea and Japan that began in the 1990s over revising the original 1965 Fishery Accord.

¡°The key to a successful Dokdo policy for Korea should be focused on getting what it wants, rather than ventilation.¡±

What Lies Ahead

¡°The island disputes in East Asia remain in a state of passive containment that can be summarized as no war, no resolution. The good news is that¡¦the current status quo, however frustrating it may be, is very likely to continue for many years to come, with occasional abrasive diplomatic wars of attrition.¡±

¡°The main reason for this¡¦is the preference of the United States as a hegemonic power in international security¡¦The U.S. does not want any drastic change in the status quo.¡±

Politicians in both Japan and Korea also lack enough political strength to unilaterally change the status quo, Bong said.

¡°Of course there will always be political pressure and temptation that something must be done, but defying these temptations should be the first step for the South Korean government to come up with a more viable and effective long term solution.¡±

By Adam Wojciechowicz



KORUS Forum Event, Map Exhibition Focus on Dokdo, East Sea at KORUS House

The Korean Embassy¡¯s KORUS House will host its next KORUS Forum public lecture and discussion event on Wednesday, August 13, welcoming Dr. Bong Youngshik for a guest presentation evaluating Korea¡¯s policy on Dokdo, the Korean islets claimed by Japan.

The event, from 11 a.m. to noon, will be followed by an opening lunch reception for two exhibitions at the KORUS House being presented by the KORUS House and the Korean Heritage Foundation(KHF): a photographic exploration of Dokdo, and 17th and 18th century European maps of East Asia that use variations of ¡°Sea of Korea¡± for the body of water east of the Korean Peninsula.

Dr. Bong, an assistant professor at American University¡¯s School of International Service, will present, ¡°Looking Back to Move Forward: The Lessons of 2008 for Korea¡¯s Dokdo Policy.¡± He will analyze whether Korea¡¯s Dokdo policy has been succeeding, while taking into account recent revisions by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. He will also discuss the strategy of ¡°quiet diplomacy¡± as a means for Korea to navigate the territorial controversy with Japan.

Following protests from the Korean government, the U.S. BGN, which does not reflect official U.S. foreign policy, recently returned Dokdo¡¯s status to that of Korean sovereignty after about a week, but left the rocky islets¡¯ name as Liancourt Rocks.

The photo exhibit, focusing on the natural beauty of the Dokdo islets, and the dozen original historical maps, mainly British and French from the personal collection of KHF head Yoon Sam-kyun, will remain on display at the KORUS House until Aug. 28.

By Ara Cho