In The Dokdo/Takeshima Dispute, Paul Huth, Sunwoong Kim, and Terence Roehrig have assembled top scholars from Japan, South Korea, and the United States to provide a balanced and comprehensive look from multiple perspectives of this long-running island dispute.

The period following World War II has witnessed numerous international territorial disputes, particularly in Asia and Africa. Even as we enter the twenty-first century, a large number of these territorial disputes over sovereignty remain unresolved and continue to pose significant diplomatic barriers for the parties involved. Clive Schofield, the author of Global Boundaries, identified10 disputed island hot spots around the globe, including the Falkland Islands, Dokdo (Takeshima), Diaoyu (Senkaku), and the Kurile and Spratly Islands, among others. Turning our attention to Northeast Asia, one territorial dispute of historic significance concerns a set of small rocky islets known as Dokdo in Korean or Takeshima in Japanese. Upon closer examination, these small islets represent more than just a dispute over territorial boundaries, but a historic source of tension and sensitivity that can be traced back to the period of Japanese imperialist aggression in Korea during the first half of the twentieth century. Today, this controversial territorial dispute remains as a critical obstacle to the amicable relations between Korea and Japan. Much of the problem appears to stem from the inability of both countries to reach a consensus on two interconnected issues: historical misperceptions and divergent legal interpretations over territorial claims to sovereignty. Bearing these two issues in mind, this book seeks to offer a fresh examination of the major historical and legal arguments at both sides of the Dokdo conflict from the perspective of international law. Through this approach, it is hoped this book will not only contribute to a better understanding of the facts and truth behind the Dokdo dispute, but also generate further discussion on how Korea and Japan might advance a productive dialog to achieve a meaningful resolution to this longstanding problem.

Launched in 1991, the Asian Yearbook of International Law is a major internationally-refereed yearbook dedicated to international legal issues as seen primarily from an Asian perspective. It is published under the auspices of the Foundation for the Development of International Law in Asia (DILA) in collaboration with DILA-Korea, the Secretariat of DILA, in South Korea. When it was launched, the Yearbook was the first publication of its kind, edited by a team of leading international law scholars from across Asia. It provides a forum for the publication of articles in the field of international law and other Asian international legal topics. The objectives of the Yearbook are two-fold: First, to promote research, study and writing in the field of international law in Asia; and second, to provide an intellectual platform for the discussion and dissemination of Asian views and practices on contemporary international legal issues. Each volume of the Yearbook contains articles and shorter notes; a section on Asian state practice; an overview of the Asian states’ participation in multilateral treaties and succinct analysis of recent international legal developments in Asia; a bibliography that provides information on books, articles, notes, and other materials dealing with international law in Asia; as well as book reviews. This publication is important for anyone working on international law and in Asian studies. The 2017 edition of the Yearbook is a special volume that has articles highlighting current international legal issues facing particular Asian states.

Utilizing perspectives from international law, international relations, and history, this volume provides a balanced perspective on territorial disputes in Northeast Asia highlighting the issue of Dokdo which is disputed between Korea and Japan.

Japan and South Korea are Western-style democracies with open-market economies committed to the rule of law. They are also U.S. allies. Yet despite their shared interests, shared values, and geographic proximity, divergent national identities have driven a wedge between them. Drawing on decades of expertise, Brad Glosserman and Scott A. Snyder investigate the roots of this split and its ongoing threat to the region and the world. Glosserman and Snyder isolate competing notions of national identity as the main obstacle to a productive partnership between Japan and South Korea. Through public opinion data, interviews, and years of observation, they show how fundamentally incompatible, rapidly changing conceptions of national identity in Japan and South Korea—and not struggles over power or structural issues—have complicated territorial claims and international policy. Despite changes in the governments of both countries and concerted efforts by leading political figures to encourage U.S.–ROK–Japan security cooperation, the Japan–South Korea relationship continues to be hobbled by history and its deep imprint on ideas of national identity. This book recommends bold, policy-oriented prescriptions for overcoming problems in Japan–South Korea relations and facilitating trilateral cooperation among these three Northeast Asian allies, recognizing the power of the public on issues of foreign policy, international relations, and the prospects for peace in Asia.

The Republic of Korea was colonialized in the early 20th century, achieved its independence, and rose from the ashes of the Korean War to become an Asian power. Korea’s ascent coincides neatly with the advent of globalization and growing importance of international law in managing the increasing interactions between states and other non-state entities such as multinational corporations, non-governmental organizations, and international organizations like the United Nations. The Making of International Law in Korea addresses the developments of international law in Korea from human rights concerns to law of the sea issues; from maritime delimitation and access to ocean resources to other non-security matters. Offered as a textbook for academics and students, the authors demonstrate the increasingly important role of international law in shaping international relations in Northeast Asia and Korea.