A Japanese scholar on Monday criticized the Japanese government for “ scheming occupation of the Korea ’ s easternmost islets of Dokdo while still denying historical responsibility for its colonial rule ( 1910 - 1945 ) . ” Aligned with Korean historians here on March 1 for a press conference at Chondogyo Suunhoegwan in downtown Seoul , scholars from both countries will present historical documents supporting Korea ’ s sovereignty over the much - disputed rocky islets . On Monday , Park Sung - soo , honorary professor of the Academy of Korean Studies , said that Sato Seilin , the leader of an academic group on modern and contemporary history in Nankaido , Japan , will join Korean academics ’ protest against the Japanese government over its continuous attempts to claim Dokdo as its territory . Sato has secured an 1877 Japanese government directive that reads , “ Jukdo ( Japanese name for Ulleungdo Island in North Gyeongsang Province ) and another islets nearby have nothing to do with Japan . ” The other islets evidently refer to Dokdo , confirming that the Japanese government has been largely ignoring the islets until very recently , Sato said . In 1905 , the Japanese government named the islets as Takeshima , called Dokdo in Korea , and annexed them to the Japanese territory . Even after Korea ’ s liberation in 1945 , the Japanese government has continued to claim its right over the land . “ The Japanese administration ’ s claim over Takeshima is a scheme to occupy the islets , ” Sato wrote in his work titled “ I oppose Japan ’ s reoccupation of Dokdo , ” scheduled to be released on March 1 . Park will show Japanese maps from 1836 and 1879 , disclosed previously , that suggest that the Japanese authorities acknowledged Dokdo to be a foreign territory . “ In the map , Ulleung Island and Dokdo are colored differently from the Japanese territory , which shows that Dokdo was clearly not a part of Japan , but Korea , ” Park told The Korea Herald . By Bae Ji - sook ( baejisook @ heraldcorp . com ) [ Hot News ] ◆ Park takes helm ◆ Economic democratization overshadows inauguration ◆ Welfare , public safety focus of Park ’ s agenda ◆ Where have we seen it before ? ◆ British teen dies in fall from ski lift