The Tsushima/Daemado Island dispute concerns a territorial issue about Tsushima Island, a large island in the Sea of Japan between the Korean peninsula and the island of Kyushu. The island is known as the Daemado in Korean. South Korea does not officially claim the island though some South Koreans have said that Korea has a historical claim on the island and have taken steps to attempt to assert South Korean ownership.
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History
Sanguozhi, the official historical records of the Three Kingdoms period of China (220–280 A.D.) written in the third century, recorded that the island was an ancient country of Wa (Japan).
When the ancient law system Ritsuryō of Japan was established (somewhere between 645 and 701 A.D.), Tsushima Province formally became a province of Japan. Since then, Tsushima Province has been a part of Japan, except for the temporary occupation by Mongol Empire in the Mongol invasions of Japan (1274 and 1281).
The island was described by Hayashi Shihei in Sangoku Tsūran Zusetsu, which was published in 1785. It was identified as part of Japan.
20th century
In 1946, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP) defined Japan to include the four main islands and approximately 1000 nearby islands, including Tsushima.
In 1948, the Republic of Korea (ROK) asserted its sovereignty over the island based on "historical claims". In 1949, the SCAP rejected South Korea's claim.
In 1951, United States-Korea negotiations about the Treaty of San Francisco made no mention of Tsushima Island. After this, the status of Tsushima as an island of Japan was re-confirmed by the US.
In 1974, Korea and Japan reaffirmed that Tsushima is part of Japan.
21st century
In 2008, a small minority of members of the National Assembly of South Korea proposed claiming Tsushima as part of Korea. There were 50 members in this group.
In 2010, some members of the National Assembly proposed a study of Korea's territorial claims to Tsushima. There were 37 members in this group.
In 2013, a South Korean court decided the preliminary injunction that provisionally prevents a Buddhist statue stolen from a temple in Tsushima to South Korea from returning to the temple. A document found in the Buddhist statue shows that the statue was made in a Korean temple Buseoksa in 1330. Based on this record, some Koreans assume that the statue was moved illegally from Korea to Japan by Wokou in the late 14th century. Besides, Buseoksa declares its ownership over the statue. This news provoked another wave of anger in the islanders and throughout Japan, as it was assumed in Japan that this could be another plot of Korean territorial ambition to the island.
Timeline
United States' position
A United States' report titled Korea's Recent Claim to the Island of Tsushima analyzed the Korean claim and says:
"While many Koreans may be convinced of the validity of the claim, it is obvious that the government's demands and popular support for them have not been based on a rational, legal analysis of the issue. The demands appear to be both a reflection of and calculated appeal to the nationalism and the anti-Japanese feelings that prevail throughout the Republic."
" There is no question of Tsushima's status as a dependency of Japan after 1668. The Japanese reorganization of the government of Tsushima following the Meiji Restoration antagonized the Koreans, but they could only express disapproval of it. No other nation has sought to challenge Japan's control since 1668.
Therefore, from the information available, Korea's claim does not appear to be well-founded. Although Korea apparently held a dominant position on the island before 500 A.D., its claim to control in subsequent periods is not supported by the facts available. On the contrary, there is little doubt that during at least 350 years Japan has exercised complete and effective control of Tsushima."