1900 document(k)

大韓帝國光武四年(1900) 高宗皇帝勅令第四十一號(Seoul National Univ.奎章閣所藏)

勅令第四十一號
Imperial Ordinance No. 41
.............鬱陵島를鬱島로改稱하고島監을郡守로改定한件
.............Ullung Is. has been renamed Ul Is.; Insular Supervisor has been amended to Prefect
第一條.....鬱陵島를鬱島로改稱하고 江原道에 附屬하고島
.............監을郡守로改定하야官制中에 編入하고郡等은五等으로
.............할事
Article 1..Ullung Is. has been renamed Ul Is.; had become attached to Kangwon Circuit, Insular Supervisor has been amended to Prefect; this shall be reflected it in the Institution of Offices; Prefectural status shall be assigned to level 5.
第二條.....郡廳位置눈台霞洞으로定하고區域은鬱陵全島와
.............竹島石島를管轄할事
Ariticle 2..Seat of Prefectural Office shall be in Taeha-dong, as for jurisdiction Prefect shall govern the whole of Ullung Is., Chuk Is., and Sok Is.
第三條.....開國五百四年八月官報中官廳事項欄內鬱
.............陵島以外十九字를冊法하고開國五百五年勅令 第三十六
.............號第五條江原道二十六郡의六字는七字로改正하고安峽郡下
.............에鬱陵島三字를添入할事
Article 3..In the Official Gazette of the 504th year since the beginning of the State, Month of 8, in references to Prefectural Offices, 19 characters starting from 鬱陵島 shall be legislated; in the Official Gazette of the 505th year since the beginning of the State, in reference to Imperial Ordinance No. 36, Article 5, the 六字 in 江原道二十六郡 shalled be amended to 七字; under Prefecture of Anhyob 安峽郡 shall be added the three characters of 鬱陵島.
第四條.....經費는五等郡으로磨鍊하되現金間인즉使額이
.............未備하고庶事草創하기로諧島收稅中인姑先磨
.............鍊할事
第五條.....未盡한諸條는本島開拓을隨하야次第磨
.............鍊할事
第六條.....本令은頒布日로부터施行할事
.....光武四年十月二十五日奉
(一行空欄)
(左葉七行官印‘’勅命之寶)
............勅.....議政府議政臨時署理贊政內部大臣李乾 夏lexco at Japan forum

Was the Jukdo-Seokdo (竹島石島) reference in the 1900 Imperial Edict referring to Jukdo and another island named “Seokdo”? Or was it referring to Jukdo and the various other islets and rocks surrounding Ulleungdo?

I am not sure, but I have not seen any Korean maps that show a neighboring island of Ulleungdo named “Seokdo,” nor was it mentioned in any Korean document except the 1900 Imperial Edict. Moveover, here is what an 1899 Hwangseong Shinmun article said about Ulleungdo:

In the sea east of Uljin is an island named Ulleung. Of its six, small neighboring islands, Usando and Jukdo (or Usando/Jukdo) are/is the most prominent (崔著者). The Daehanjiji says that Ulleungdo is the old Country of Usan. It has an area of 100 ri. Three peaks stand out (律兀)….

Notice that the article said that Ulleungdo had “six, small neighboring islands,” including “Usando-Jukdo” (于山島竹島 -우산도죽도). If that is true, then why didn’t the 1900 edict mention those other islands? Well, maybe it did. It is possible that the “Seokdo” (石島) in the 1900 Imperial Edict was not referring to a single island named “Seokdo,” but was referring to the “other ‘rock’ islands.” As you mentioned, Korean often does not distinguish between singular and plural.

By the way, in the above 1899 newspaper article the phrase Usando-Jukdo (于山島竹島) could be translated as both “Usando and Jukdo” or as “Usando/Jukdo.” The first translation would mean that Usando and Jukdo were separate islands while the second translation would mean that Usando and Jukdo were just two names for the same island. Korean historical documents and maps suggest that Usando and Jukdo were just two names for the same island. For example, Korean maps show either Usando or Jukdo, but not the two islands together. Moreover, when they appear on Korean maps they each appear in the approximate location of present-day Jukdo, which is a small island approximately 2.2 kilometers off of Ulleungdo’s northeast shore.
Gerry at occidentalism