Exclusive: US Navy-affiliated Research Institute Map Marks Dokdo as South Korean Territory

[Anchor]

It has been confirmed that a prominent institution related to the U.S. Navy has marked Dokdo in Korean as "Dokdo" on an East Asian map, clearly indicating South Korea's territorial waters as well. U.S. Forces Korea has also been referring to the East Sea as the East Sea rather than the Sea of Japan since last year. It appears that the U.S. military's recognition of Dokdo and the East Sea is firmly taking root.

Defense Specialist Reporter Kim Taehun has this exclusive report.

[Reporter]

This is the "Western Pacific Naval Update" posted on the website once a week since May by "USNI News," the media outlet published by the U.S. Naval Institute (USNI), a research institution associated with the U.S. Navy.

It maps the movements of East Asian naval forces, and it marked Dokdo in Korean as "Dokridi," which is South Korea's administrative district designation.

Zooming in further on the map, it details in Korean the Dokdo Guard post, the lighthouse, Seodo Island's Yongbok-gil, Dongdo Island's Isabu-gil, residents' lodgings, and even smaller islets.

The territorial sea line drawn in a circle 12 nautical miles around Dokdo is recorded as "Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea."

Writing Chinese place names in Chinese characters, Japanese place names in kana, and Dokdo and its territorial waters in Korean is interpreted to mean that "Dokdo is South Korean land, and the waters 12 nautical miles around Dokdo are South Korean territorial waters."

USNI is a nonprofit, independent research institution established in 1873 by U.S. Navy officers in Annapolis, Maryland, where the United States Naval Academy is located.

Its board of directors is composed of retired four-star generals from the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

[Hwang Ki-chul / Former Chief of Naval Operations: Although it is not the official position of the U.S. government, USNI, an influential maritime security expert institution in the U.S., reflects the reality that (Dokdo) is under the administrative management and effective jurisdiction of the Republic of Korea...]

The perception that the East Sea should also be designated as the "East Sea" rather than the Sea of Japan is taking root within the U.S. military.

Commander of U.S. Forces Korea Brunson has called it the "East Sea" every time he speaks publicly, and U.S. Marine Forces Korea marked it as "East Sea" on the map in a training video.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
Reported by Kim Hyun-sang | Video by Cho Moo-hwan
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.