Daehanjiji

The map of Daehanjiji

Daehanjiji was the last of the three geographical works of the latter 1900s; the provincial gazetteers that were written from 1871 onward, Joseon Jiji (朝鮮地誌; 1895, 1 vol.), and Dahanjiji itself. Its reprinting in 1901 was followed by other geographical works by authors who were inspired by its novelty, yet who were disappointed for its brevity and obvious omissions. Thus were published Daehan Shinjiji (大韓新地志, Jang Jiyeon, 1907), Chodeung Dahanjiji (初等大韓地誌, An Jonghwa, 1907), and again Chodeung Dahanjiji (初等大韓地誌 An Jonghwa, Ryun Yeon, 1908), which described Usan Island as lying to the Southeast of Ulleung Island. As for institutional innovations in the local administrations since the Seven Year War of 1593 down to 1904, the 1908 Jeungbo Munheon Bigo, The Expanded Encyclopedia of the Eastern Nation, succinctly noted the redevelopment of Ulleung Island of 1883, its promotion to Uldo County of 1900, and the incorporation of Usan Island under Uldo County jurisdiction.

Daehanjiji describes the domain of the Great Korean Empire as stretching from 33°15′N to 42°25′N and from 124°30′E to 130°35′E, which would exclude the Liancourt Rocks (located at 37°14′30″N 131°52′0″E), ownership of which is claimed by both Korea and Japan.[5][6][7]

The said four corners of the Korean Peninsula given in the overview, first chapter of Daehanjiji, are as follows, yet it is not clear which locations the figures might represent, obscuring further analysis that might offer a solution either way.

• Southern limit: 33°15′N
• Northern limit: 42°25′N
• Western limit: 124°30′E
• Eastern limit: 130°35′E

Although Daehanjiji garnered praise as a pioneering western-style textbook in late Joseon dynasty, it was criticized for its overt dependence on Japanese geographies. It had borrowed heavily from the Japanese sources in its overview, format, and content material, and its longitude-latitude co-ordinates were literally translated from the Japanese books rather than taking Korean measurements conducted by the Korean government.[8] The so-called four limits of the Korean peninsula, including the eastern limit ~~ that has drawn heavy criticism, have been identified in such prior Japanese geographies as follows.[9]

• Kan’ei Suiroshi, first and second editions(寰瀛水路誌; 海軍水路部 嘉納謙作, 1883,[10] 1886[11])
• Chōsenhachidō-shi(朝鮮八道誌, 小松運, 1887)[12]
• Shinsen Chōsenkoku Chizu(新撰朝鮮国地図, 林正, 1894.7),[13]
• Shinsen Chōsen Chiri-shi(新撰朝鮮地理誌, 大田才次郎, 1894)[14]
• Chōsen Suiroshi(朝鮮水路誌, 海軍水路寮, 1894.11)[15]

Fortunately, an identical set of longitude-latitude four-corner limits has been identified in the 1907 geography by Tokunaga Isamijo's (德永勲美) Kankoku Shoran (韓國總覽; 한국총람)[16] where the real geographical locations are given beside the abstract so-called four corners figures.[17]

• Southern limit: 33°15′N at Moseul-po, Jeju Island
• Northern limit: 42°25′N at Nokdun-do(鹿屯島)
• Western limit: 124°30′E at Soyuhyen-gak(小乳縣角), or Jangsan-goc(長山串), Hwanghae Province
• Eastern limit: 130°35′E at Duman River(豆滿江) estuary, N. Hamgyeng Province

In light of these actual locations, the question raised by the Japanese MOFA becomes more understandable in concrete geographical terms. To reiterate JMOFA's challenge, the fact that Daehanjiji lists these four corner limits to describe Korea indicates Koreans did not regard Dokdo-Takeshima (Liancourt Rocks) as Korean territory. In refutation, it has been noted the fact that Ulleung Island around that time, with a longitude measurement of 130°57′E according to the Japanese Navy[18] and 130°58′E according to the British Navy,[19] also lies outside the so-called four corners but has always been considered Korean territory indicates the so-called four-corner limits should not be taken literally, as they might have meant something quite different in the minds of those who first coined them.[20] In addition, it has further been brought to attention that the following locations also lie outside the so-called four-corner coordinates yet they are sovereign territories at least since Gojong's reign.[21]

• Korean territories beyond the southern limit : Gapado at 33°09′34″N,[22] Marado at 33°06′40″N[23]
• Korean territories beyond the northern limit : Pungseori (Hamgyeongbukdo Onseonggun Pungseori Yuweonjin) at 43°00'36″N
• Korean territories beyond the western limit : Bidanseom (Pyeonganbukdo Shindo-gun Bidan-seom Rodongja-gu) at 124°10'47″E
• Korean territories beyond the eastern limit : Raseonteukgeup-shi Seonbong-gun Wuam-ri at 130°41'32″E; Ulleung Island (Takeshima(竹島) in Edo Japanese), 130°54'E; Gwaneumdo (Seommok, G'aksaeseom), 130°55'E; Jukdo(竹島; Daes'seom), 130°56'E; Dokdo(于山島; 芋山島; 石島; 獨島; Dokseom; Dolseom; Matsushima (松島) in Edo Japanese),[24] 131°52'E

• 한국 최남단: 북위 33°06'37 ROK Jeju Teukbyeol Jachi-do Seogwipo-shi Daejeong-eup Mara-do
• 한국 최북단: 북위 43°00'36 DPRK Hamgyeongbukdo Onseong-gun Pungseo-ri
• 한국 최서단: 동경 124°10'47 DPRK Pyeong'anbukdo Shindo-gun Bidan-seom Rodongja-gu
• 한국 최동단: 동경 131°52'10.38 ROK Gyeongsangbukdo Ulleung-gun Ulleung-eup Dokdo-ri