Hall dedicated to fisherman who defended Dokdo

Participants cut the tape to open the Ahn Yong-bok memorial hall on Ulleungdo Island on Tuesday. (Yonhap News)

A memorial hall honoring a fisherman who defended Dokdo from Japanese fishermen during the Joseon era has been dedicated on Ulleungdo Island.

The office of North Gyeongsang Province opened the doors of the Ahn Yong-bok memorial hall to the public on Tuesday.

Located on the island nearest Dokdo, the easternmost Korean islets also claimed by Japan, the two-story building with a basement has an exhibition room, an auditorium, a screening room and other facilities.

Outside the hall, there are a sculpture and shrine honoring Ahn.

The hall exhibits historical documents on Ahn’s activities, Japanese materials confirming that Ullengdo and Dokdo are Korean islands, and other materials.

Its construction began in July 2010.

Born in Busan, Ahn went to Japan twice in 1693 and 1696 after clashes with Japanese fishermen at Ullengdo and got the Tokugawa Shogunate’s edict that both islands were Korean possessions.

By Chun Sung-woo (swchun@heraldcorp.com)