In 1692,employees of the Murakawa family encountered Koreans at “Takeshima” i.e. present-day Utsuryo Island. In 1693, a greater number of Koreans were discovered at Utsuryo Island, so a captain employed by the Oya family brought two Koreans named An Yong Bok and Park Eo-Dun back to Yonago where they were questioned by the Tottori Domain. After receiving the Tottori Domain’s report, the Shogunate ordered that the two Koreans were to be returned to their homeland and instructed the Tsushima Domain to begin negotiations with Korea to ban Korean fisherman coming to “Takeshima” (Utsuryo). Korea asserted that “Takeshima” is an island with two names and that “Utsuryo Island” has historically belonged to Korea. Ultimately, the Shogunate banned Japanese from voyaging to “Takeshima” (Utsuryo) in 1696. The ownership of what is today called Takeshima was not mentioned during this bilateral dialogue. (Ref.1)

After the Shogunate prohibited Japanese from traveling to “Takeshima” (Utsuryo) in June of 1696, An Yong Bok arrived at the Tottori Domain via Oki Islands to lodge some manner of protest. He did so by forging his official title as the “Tax Warden for Korean Utsuryo.” (Ref.2) The Shogunate “ordered Tottori Domain to tell An to go home and expel him from Japan” and An sailed home with the rest of his party. (Ref. 1) Moreover, An asserted that “Takeshima (Utsuryo) and Matsushima (present-day’s Takeshima) are part of Gangwon-do” while being questioned on Oki Islands. (Ref.4) The Korean government, however, disavowed An’s behavior, stating that “the Korean government is not responsible for what a drifting fisherman did.” (Ref.3)

Ref. 1: Takeshima Kiji (The Takeshima Chronicles) 1726, (Period 1) Takeshima Mondai Kenkyukai (Research Study Group on the Takeshima Issue) Final Report: Documents (Shimane Prefectural Government homepage: Vol.1-5)

Ref. 2: Inabashi (Geography of “Inaba”, i.e. a section of present-day eastern Tottori prefecture) – Tottori Prefectural Museum “The Okajima Family Documents” (available on the Shimane Prefectural Government Web Takeshima Issue Research homepage)

Ref. 3: Annals of King Sukjong, Vol. 31, Leaves 10-11

Ref. 4: The Murakami Family Documents