Photo : YONHAP News
The first annual Dokdo Day ceremony is set to take place on Ulleung Island in the East Sea on Friday afternoon.
According to the local government of Ulleung County, North Gyeongsang Province, October 25 is Dokdo Day under an ordinance enacted in May.
While it is not an official holiday, it marks the day Emperor Gojong of the Korean Empire officially issued an imperial order in 1900 proclaiming that the nation had always retained sovereignty over the islets throughout history.
Civic groups have celebrated Dokdo Day since 2000 to counter Japan’s claims over the islets, which it calls Takeshima.
Meanwhile, North Gyeongsang Province held its own ceremony designating October as Dokdo Month in response to a Japanese holiday that falls on February 22.
The provincial government is promoting education on the history of Dokdo through the month of October.