• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.282-300
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• 2013

This study regards that a cause of intensifying sovereignty disputes between Korea and Japan over the Dokdo island has resulted from the fallacy of Dokdo's development policy directly related to exertion and consolidation of Korean government's sovereignty on Dokdo, which has been under Korea's effective control since 1953. From this internal view, this study critically reviews the Korean government's development policy for Dokdo from the 1950s to the end of July 2012 and suggests an ideal alternative for future development of Dokdo on the basis of the discussion of the problems of Dokdo's development policy and its different future development directions proposed in Korean society. The Korean government implemented quite passively the development policy for the inhabited island which is required for the consolidation of sovereignty over Dokdo not to hinder the friendly diplomatic relationship between Korea and Japan. Dokdo is currently not acknowledged as the Korea's Dokdo island in international society, but mostly called Liancourt Rocks. It may be due to the fact that Korea did not positively develop Dokdo as a valuable island which a number of Koreans can inhabit. Consequently this paper proposes 'Dokdo eco-village' as an alternative development plan from the perspective of sustainable development which the UN has adopted. It is a small scale village that contains economic function of eco-friendly fishing, eco-tourism and East Sea research. The hope is that Dokdo eco-village draft plan will be a clue to the discussion and establishment of new Dokdo's development policy to strengthen the Korea's sovereignty and effective control over Dokdo in the future.