An Ryong Bok

The history of the patriotic struggles of the Korean people to safeguard the nation's dignity and sovereignty at the cost of their lives has a record on An Ryong Bok (around the late mid-17th century), an ordinary fisherman, who defended the Ullung Island and the Tok Islets on the eastern tip of Korea.

One summer day in 1693, An Ryong Bok and 40-odd other fishermen from Ulsan drifted to the Ullung Island by heavy seas. The island, neighbouring the Tok Islets, was very famous for its beautiful scenery and rich stock of resources. It was often ransacked by the Japanese invaders during the Imjin Patriotic War (1592-1598). To escape their murder and pillage the islanders left their native place. Gradually the island got uninhabited, and fishermen from Kangwon and Kyongsang provinces landed there for fishing or a break during the voyage from time to time.

Availing themselves of it, the Japanese began to get their aggressive claws into the Ullung Island and Tok Islets. They had previously intruded into Korea only to withdraw after suffering wholesale deaths owing to the Korean people's righteous patriotic resistance. Later the Japanese invaders infiltrated into the East Sea of Korea again, running amuck to realize their failed old dream. At that time they called the Ullung Island “Takeshima” and the Tok Islets “Matsushima” at their own discretion. They even suggested to the feudal Korean government that they make a survey of “Takeshima” in 1614 and 1615. The Korean government entrusted the Magistrate of Tongnae to firmly declare that “Takeshima” meant the Ullung Island of Korea and that foreigners' “survey” was intolerable. But availing themselves of the Korean government's disadvantage of failing to exert its influence over the remote islands the Japanese desperately schemed to take the two islands.

It was right at the time that An Ryong Bok and his party anchored at the Ullung Island and encountered Japanese invaders. The Japanese were so insolent as to pose as the master of the land, asserting that the Ullung Island belonged to Japan. An (he was good at Japanese) was infuriated. He made up his mind to defend the national territory for himself. Despite a person of the low social standing, he went to the Oki Island of Japan with Pak O Dun to negotiate with the local ruler.

An demonstrated that the Ullung Island belonged to Korea without doubt and strongly condemned the illegality of the Japanese intruders.

The Japanese ruler knew he could hardly bring An to submission, and transferred him to Japanese Hoki Province (western region of the present Tottori Prefecture). The governor-general of the Hoki Province tried to buy him over with wealth, but in vain. An turned down the conciliatory trick, and managed to win from the Japanese chancellor and the governor-general of the Hoki Province the assurance that the Ullung Island belonged to Korea.

An reached Tsushima on his way back home. Then the crafty lord of Nagasaki and the ruler of Tsushima distorted their intrusion of the Ullung Island and invented a false case of the Koreans’“invading” Tsushima, demanding that the Korean government make “apology.”

In fear of disclosure of their crime they detained An by force for 90 days. But his just struggle compelled them to let him go back to his country.

On returning home, An went to the government office in Tongnae, made a detailed report and submitted a proposal on defending the Korean territory. But the feudal government gave no reply. On the contrary it took a passive attitude.

Now An and other patriotic Koreans turned out to defend the Ullung Island and the Tok Islets. In 1696 An and his party went to the Ullung Island again only to see Japanese squatters there for the second time. Feeling guilty, the Japanese excused themselves for being lost on their way to Matsushima (Tok Islets). An declared angrily, “Matsushima is just the Usan Islets (Tok Islets), and it also belongs to Korea,” and forced them out of the island. Then he immediately sailed to Hoki Province and disclosed the crime of the lord of Tsushima in front of the governor-general of the province. The governor-general assured him that he would prevent his people from landing again on the Korean islands illegally. Later Japan informed the Korean government that the Ullung Island and the Tok Islets were the Korean territory for sure and dared not intrude the islands.

The islands, part of the territory of the Korean nation, are associated with the Korean people's patriotism and the history of their resolute struggle to defend their territorial sovereignty.

Tok Islets