Dokdo Museum exhibits documents on 1947 Dokdo exhibition

President of the Northeast Asian History Foundation Lee Young-ho (third from left) and Kim Yeon-deok (second from right), a member of the scientific expedition to Dokdo in 1953, government officials and lawmakers pose for a picture at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Dokdo Museum, Wednesday. (Yonhap)

The opening ceremony for “1947, Scientific Expedition to Ulleungdo and Dokdo,” a special exhibition organized by the Northeast Asian History Foundation, was held Wednesday at the Dokdo Museum in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.

Established in 2012, the Dokdo Museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving and exhibiting documents and records on the Dokdo islets in the East Sea, which Japan also claims sovereignty over, to promote public awareness of the island.

The highlight of the special exhibition are reports and documents on Ulleungdo and Dokdo donated by Corean Alpine Club.

Corean Alpine Club, formerly known as Joseon Alpine Club, conducted expeditions to Dokdo in 1947, after Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, in 1952 during the Korean War and in 1953, soon after the signing of the armistice that brought the Korean War to a cease-fire, not a peace treaty.

Among the exhibits are documents from the Joseon Alpine Club made while conducting scientific expeditions on the North Gyeongsang Province islands Ulleungdo and Dokdo in 1947 along with official letters from the interim government and United States Army Military Government in Korea that allowed the expedition to take place.

Documents and reports made by Joseon Alpine Club during scientific expeditions on Dokdo are on display, Wednesday. (Hwang Joo-young/The Korea Herald)

Wednesday’s opening ceremony took place at the front lobby of the Dokdo Museum with Northeast Asian History Foundation President Lee Young-ho, Joseon Alpine Club member Kim Yeon-deok, government officials and lawmakers in attendance.

Kim, 92, joined the Joseon Alpine Club as a college student and embarked on the third Dokdo expedition of 1953, helping to measure the island and erect a milestone on the island in Korean.

“For those planning to visit Dokdo and Ulleungdo, consider conducting thorough research in advance,” Kim said.

“I deeply appreciate that people still highly value our expeditions and reports on Dokdo.”

“1947’s scientific expedition on Ulleungdo and Dokdo” will run through Oct. 31.

The Dokdo Museum is open from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. Admission is free.

A 1:100 scale miniature of Dokdo (Hwang Joo-young/The Korea Herald)

By Hwang Joo-young(flylikekite@heraldcorp.com)