'​Dokdo Education Center' Breaks Ground on Ulleungdo... "To Be a Hub for Hands-On Dokdo Education"

To Be Built on the Former Jangheung Branch School Site on Ulleungdo
Three Stories... Completion in 2028

The Gyeongsangbuk-do Office of Education said it will hold the “Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Gyeongsangbuk-do Office of Education Dokdo Education Center and Dokdo Day Event” on October 24 on Ulleungdo, marking a new leap forward in Dokdo education.

The Gyeongsangbuk-do Office of Education said, “The event is being held to mark the 126th anniversary of the promulgation of Imperial Decree No. 41 by the Korean Empire, reflect on Dokdo’s historical significance and the importance of territorial sovereignty, and lay the groundwork for hands-on Dokdo education linking Ulleungdo and Dokdo.”

Dokdo Education Center to be built in Ulleung, North Gyeongsang Province (artist's rendering)

The event will proceed in the following order: screening of a commemorative video about a Dokdo visit, a pre-ceremony performance, a briefing on the Dokdo Education Center construction plan, a groundbreaking proclamation ceremony, and a special performance.

For the pre-ceremony performance, the traditional fusion performance team Noldang will present an energetic show centered on modeumbuk drums. In particular, Imperial Decree No. 41 of the Korean Empire will be read aloud during the performance to affirm that Dokdo is an inherent part of Korea's territory and underscore the historical significance of Dokdo Day.

At the groundbreaking proclamation ceremony, key attendees will break ground, wishing for the safe construction and successful operation of the Dokdo Education Center. The event is expected to be a meaningful occasion marking the creation of a new hub for Dokdo education, where students from across the country can learn about and experience Dokdo's history and value firsthand.

Through a performance called “The Dance of the Brush,” artist Kim Soyoung will use a large brush to complete the phrase “Gyeongbuk Education Embraces Dokdo,” expressing Gyeongbuk Education's commitment and vision for Dokdo education. Children from the Children's Dokdo Volunteer Defense Corps, made up of students from Ulleungdo, will also perform about Dokdo's history and the activities of the Dokdo Volunteer Defense Corps, conveying their determination to protect and cherish Dokdo.

The Dokdo Education Center, for which construction is beginning, will be built on the site of the former Jangheung Branch of Ulleung Elementary School in Sadong-ri, Ulleung-eup, Ulleung County. It will have a site area of 4,685 square meters and a total floor area of 4,405.38 square meters, and will be a three-story building. The center is planned as an educational facility that can accommodate 120 people. The project will run for a total of 26 months, from September 2026 to September 2028.

Once completed, the Dokdo Education Center is expected to serve as a key hub for hands-on Dokdo education, where students from across the country can visit Ulleungdo and Dokdo in person and learn comprehensively about their history, natural environment, and the significance of territorial sovereignty.

Through Dokdo-related education, hands-on field activities, and student-participation programs, the center will provide opportunities for students to verify and experience in person what they have learned in the classroom. It is expected to play an important role in promoting an accurate understanding of Dokdo and awareness of territorial sovereignty.

Lim Jongsik, superintendent of the Gyeongsangbuk-do Office of Education, said, “We will build the Dokdo Education Center safely and with a strong focus on quality so that it can become the center of hands-on Dokdo education, where students learn about and experience the history and nature of Ulleungdo and Dokdo firsthand.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.