Dokdo in the East Sea consists of two islands, Dongdo and Seodo. On Seodo, there is a street called “Anyongbok Street,” named after a fisherman in Joseon. An Yongbok, the man whose name is chosen for
Koreans’ most beloved island, appears in Joseon’s official historical record of the Annals of King Sukjong.
Although he was a humble fisherman, Koreans call him admiral today to pay him the respect that he  deserves. What made Koreans respect him so much that they gave him the honorary title of admiral and
even gave his name to a street on their favorite island? It is because of his significant role in protecting
Joseon’s territory, despite his low status. While gathering seafood around Ulleungdo and Dokdo, An Yongbok spotted Japanese fishermen trespassing and demanded that they stay off Joseon’s waters. Instead of complying, the trespassers kidnapped him and brought him to Japanese officials on Oki Island for punishment. Unfazed, An advocated for Joseon’s territorial rights to those islands and consequently obtained a diplomatic document stating that neither Ulleungdo nor Dokdo belonged to Japan. After seeing Japanese fishermen continuing to trespass, An visited Japan again and made an official complaint. Finally, in 1696, the Japanese government issued an administrative order that prohibited Japanese fishermen’s passage to these
Korean islands. Fisherman An Yongbok was a patriotic admiral in heart, who defended Ulleungdo and
Dokdo.