An Yong-bok,An Yong-bok, who lived in Dongnae, Busan, during the reign of Joseon’s King Sukjong, traveled to Japan twice, in 1693 and 1696, and played a pivotal role in making the Japanese Shogunate government officially recognize Ulleungdo and Dokdo as Joseon territory. In his youth, An Yong-bok joined the navy and served as an oarsman on a ship charged with protecting coastal areas from the raiding Japanese marauders known as waegu. He became fluent in Japanese while living in Busan, as he frequented waegwan, the settlement for Japanese merchants in Joseon.
The General An Yong-bok Monument located at Yaksu Park in Do-dong, Ulleungdo
In the spring of 1693 (19th year of King Sukjong’s reign), An Yong-bok and 40 other fishermen from Dongnae set off for Ulleungdo to catch fish but came into conflict with the Japanese fishermen they found fishing in the area. During the early 15th century, Joseon had enacted a resettlement policy under which it relocated Ulleungdo residents to other areas to protect them from ongoing waegu raids. Japanese fishermen were known to have been fishing off the coast of Ulleungdo since the early 17th century, taking advantage of the absence of people living on the island at that time. An Yong-bok and Park Eo-dun were captured by the Japanese fishermen and taken to Japan against their will. There, An Yong-bok argued before the Governor of Hokishu (present-day Tottori Prefecture) and the Edo Shogun that Ulleungdo and Dokdo were Joseon territory, and he was given an official message from the Japanese Shogun which confirmed Joseon’s claim. But, on the way back to Busan, that document was stolen from Ahn by the Governor of Tsushima in Nagasaki. The Governor of Tsushima Province, who early in the 17th century had already made known that he intended to settle Ulleungdo, sent An Yong-bok back to Joseon with an official letter demanding that the Joseon government stop its fishermen from fishing the waters around Ulleungdo, claiming it as Japanese territory.
In the spring of 1696, An Yong-bok and a group of 10 fishermen set off yet again for Ulleungdo only to find Japanese fishing boats there. He chased them off and made his second visit to Japan to protest the violation of Joseon’s fishing rights in the area of Ulleungdo and Dokdo, once again making it clear that the two islands belonged to Joseon. Upon his return, An was taken into custody and charged with having caused an international dispute without government permission. The Joseon government considered handing out the death sentence. In the end, An was sent into exile after High State Councilor Yu Sang-un and former High State Councilor Nam Gu-man made heartfelt appeals on his behalf.
The General An Yong-bok Monument located at Yaksu Park in Do-dong, Ulleungdo
In the spring of 1693 (19th year of King Sukjong’s reign), An Yong-bok and 40 other fishermen from Dongnae set off for Ulleungdo to catch fish but came into conflict with the Japanese fishermen they found fishing in the area. During the early 15th century, Joseon had enacted a resettlement policy under which it relocated Ulleungdo residents to other areas to protect them from ongoing waegu raids. Japanese fishermen were known to have been fishing off the coast of Ulleungdo since the early 17th century, taking advantage of the absence of people living on the island at that time. An Yong-bok and Park Eo-dun were captured by the Japanese fishermen and taken to Japan against their will. There, An Yong-bok argued before the Governor of Hokishu (present-day Tottori Prefecture) and the Edo Shogun that Ulleungdo and Dokdo were Joseon territory, and he was given an official message from the Japanese Shogun which confirmed Joseon’s claim. But, on the way back to Busan, that document was stolen from Ahn by the Governor of Tsushima in Nagasaki. The Governor of Tsushima Province, who early in the 17th century had already made known that he intended to settle Ulleungdo, sent An Yong-bok back to Joseon with an official letter demanding that the Joseon government stop its fishermen from fishing the waters around Ulleungdo, claiming it as Japanese territory.
In the spring of 1696, An Yong-bok and a group of 10 fishermen set off yet again for Ulleungdo only to find Japanese fishing boats there. He chased them off and made his second visit to Japan to protest the violation of Joseon’s fishing rights in the area of Ulleungdo and Dokdo, once again making it clear that the two islands belonged to Joseon. Upon his return, An was taken into custody and charged with having caused an international dispute without government permission. The Joseon government considered handing out the death sentence. In the end, An was sent into exile after High State Councilor Yu Sang-un and former High State Councilor Nam Gu-man made heartfelt appeals on his behalf.
