Gaji(可之), which is sea lion, was one of the specialties in Ulleungdo(Ulleung Island) and Dokdo and is now widely called ‘Gangchi’. Japan illegally occupied Dokdo in order to secure the exclusive fishing righls there. Thus the stludy about Gaji provides important clues for refuting Japan’s claim on Dokdo and also helps to prove thal Dokdo is Korean territory. This paper analyzes the change of views on ‘Gaji’ in Ulleungdo and Dokdo from lhe early Chosun Dynasty to 1905, when Japan seized Dokdo, and the implication of lhe change.
The first official record of Gaji in the early Chosun Dynasty shows that Kim In-woo dedicated its leather in 1416. With the increasing interests on Ulleungdo and Dokdo. Inspectors were dispatched regularly to the islands. Inspector Jang Han-sang, who recognized the existence of Dokdo and witnessed Gaji, dedicated its leather when his returned. Thereafter it was regularized that the Inspectors who visited Ulleungdo dedicate Gaji leather as tribute. Gaji was recognized as a symbol of Ulleungdo’s typical souvenirs and this customary practice lasted until December 1894. when Government Patrol and Inspection System (sutoje) was abolished. Ulleungdo Inspector Yi Gyu-won left valuable records of Gaji in 1882 with mentions on its habitat, capture, use, and the fishing activities of the captors.
With the accumulation of information about Gaji by Inspectlors. it was mentioned in several writings including Yi Ik’s Seonghosaseol, Sin Gyeong-jun’s Ganggyego and Dongguk-munheonbigo. Yeojigo, and Yi Gyu-gyeong’s Ojuyeonmunjangjeon-sango. Especially it attracts our attention thal Yi Gyu-gyeong recordro the sea lion as ‘Gaji’ referring to the writings of Sin Gyeong-jun. He also comparro and analyzed the origins of the names and the characleristics of sea lion, sea horse and other sea creatures in order to identify Gaji clearly. Thus, the current word Dokdo ‘Gangchi’ should be replaced with ‘Gaji’ or ‘Gaje’, a dialect in Ulleungdo.
In this context, it is very significanl lhat Sin Gyeong-jun reconfirmed Woosan and Ulleungdo as wwo different islands belonging to Chosun in Ganggyego and Dongguk-munheonbigo. With regular dispatch of Inspectors, Woosan(Dokdo) was recognized as our territory and it was important to have precise knowledge on the geography, topography, and local products of Ulleungdo and Dokdo like Gaji. After lhe opening of ports, both the government and media shared the information that Gaji was a local product of Ulleungdo and Dokdo. Especially Hwangseong-sinmun made strong claims on Dokdo’s dominium as Korean territory, indicating Yu Deuk-gong’s poem which suggested Gaji and Imperial Edict No. 41 as the supporting evidence for il even after the Japanese seizure of the island. These records show that Gaji was widely recognized as the symbol of the evidence for Dokdo’s dominium as Korean territory.