[비즈한국] With "Dokdo Day"—which commemorates October 25, the date when Dokdo was officially placed under the jurisdiction of Uldo-gun—just one day away, various commemorative events are being prepared across the country to reflect on the history and significance of Dokdo. Companies are also participating in the celebration by organizing related events.
Dokdo Day originates from October 25, 1900, when Emperor Gojong of the Korean Empire issued Imperial Edict No. 41, incorporating Dokdo into the jurisdiction of Uldo-gun. At the time, various issues were occurring on Ulleungdo, such as Japanese nationals illegally logging timber. In response, the Korean Empire government demanded their withdrawal while deciding to strengthen the local administrative legal system of Ulleungdo.
Subsequently, the Korean Empire government renamed Ulleungdo to Uldo and upgraded the local administrative official (Dogam) to a county magistrate (Gunsu) through Imperial Edict No. 41, which defined the jurisdiction of Uldo-gun as Ulleung-jeondo, Jukdo, and Seokdo. Among these, Seokdo refers to the present-day Dokdo. The edict received the Emperor's approval on October 25 and was published in the Official Gazette on the 27th of the same month.
Through Imperial Edict No. 41, the Korean Empire defined the jurisdiction of Uldo-gun as Ulleung-jeondo, Jukdo, and Seokdo (Dokdo). Photo = Provided by the Ministry of Foreign AffairsThe commemoration of October 25 as Dokdo Day began in August 2000, when the civic group Dokdo Guardians designated it as such to mark the 100th anniversary of Imperial Edict No. 41. Since then, commemorative events have been held, led mainly by civic groups, social organizations, and educational institutions. Ulleung-gun, which has administrative jurisdiction over Dokdo, also designated October 25 as Dokdo Day via an ordinance in 2024 and has been holding official commemorative ceremonies since that year.
With the 126th anniversary of Imperial Edict No. 41 approaching, various events reflecting on the historical significance of Dokdo are scheduled to take place across the country, including on Ulleungdo.
Ulleung-gun will hold the ‘2026 Ulleung Residents' Day and Dokdo Day Ceremony’ at the Ulleung Hanmaeum Hall on the 25th. This year’s event, themed ‘Ulleung that Blossomed Together, Dokdo that We Protected Together,’ will feature pre-ceremony performances, awards for residents, the presentation of honorary citizenship certificates, commemorative performances, and celebratory shows. Starting at 1 p.m., side events such as a flea market and an exhibition of photos of Ulleungdo and Dokdo will also be held.
In Seoul, the Northeast Asian History Foundation’s Dokdo Experience Center will run a Dokdo Day commemorative program from the 24th to the 1st of next month. On the 24th, a classical music concert and a lecture by an expert will be held in front of a Dokdo model, and from the 24th to the 25th, visitors can participate in a hands-on experience making Dokdo keychains.
The Isabu Dokdo Memorial in Samcheok, Gangwon Province, will also hold the ‘2026 Isabu and Dokdo-Wasseom’ event on the 24th and 25th. On the 24th, there will be outdoor movie screenings and a mini lantern-making experience, while eco-bag making will be held on the 24th and 25th, and a Mugunghwa Dokdo cake-making program will be offered on the 25th. According to the Samcheok Tourism and Culture Foundation, which is organizing the event, it has drawn significant interest, with 174 teams and 536 people signing up for advance registration.
Companies are also joining in the events to commemorate Dokdo Day. iM Bank held a customer participation event on its official Instagram from the 8th to the 22nd. Participants engaged by leaving comments with messages they wanted to convey to Dokdo or by ‘liking’ comments they resonated with. iM Bank plans to select 25 people based on the number of ‘likes’ on their comments, and draw 10 additional winners from those who liked the comments, for a total of 35 people to receive a Dokdo package.
The cultural content platform Yes24 also released a special question regarding Dokdo through its AI-based participatory discourse service, ‘AI Q&A,’ which debuted in May, to mark Dokdo Day. The question is: ‘On October 25, Dokdo Day, what is a good way to remember our land, Dokdo?’ Yes24 stated that it planned this question to allow members to commemorate Dokdo Day by sharing their own thoughts, noting that the ways people reflect on the historical meaning and value of Dokdo vary. Participation in the question is open until the 25th. According to Yes24, it has seen a high response, with more than 15,000 members participating in the two days since the question was released on the 19th.
Although various commemorative events are taking place, Dokdo Day is not yet a statutory holiday designated by the state. Consequently, there have been consistent movements to have it officially designated as a national commemorative day. Starting with a National Assembly petition and signature drive in 2004, related bills have been proposed several times, and an amendment to legally specify Dokdo Day as an official commemorative day was submitted to the National Assembly in 2025 as well.
As voices continue to call for Dokdo Day to be designated as a national commemorative day, attention is focused on the direction that future discussions on the matter will take.