Dokdo Museum on a Hill 700 m from Dodong Port
Dokdo Museum is a public museum operated by Ulleung County that opened on August 8, 1997. It offers an opportunity to explore maps, historical records, and documents related to Dokdo, along with the history of daily life on Ulleungdo and Dokdo. The museum is about 700 m uphill from Dodong Port, and some visitors report that an elevator at the entrance to Dodong Mineral Spring Park can be used.
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Why it opened in Dodong, Ulleung County, on August 8, 1997
The Dokdo Museum is a public museum in Dodong, Ulleung-eup, Ulleung County, Gyeongsangbuk-do. To mark the 50th anniversary of liberation in 1995, Ulleung County provided the land, and the museum opened on August 8, 1997, in a building constructed by the Samsung Cultural Foundation.
The first director was the late Lee Jong-hak, who collected materials related to Dokdo in Korea and abroad for more than 30 years. The founding materials also included the belongings of the late Commander Hong Sun-chil, as well as materials from the Dokdo Volunteer Defense Forces comrades’ association and the Blue Ulleung Dokdo Preservation Group.
How to view 555 items across 398 categories on a 5,816-pyeong site
The museum was built on a 5,816-pyeong site, with one basement level and two above-ground floors. Its collection consists of 555 items across 398 categories, including maps, historical books, and documents, primarily materials collected by Lee Jong-hak in Korea and abroad and donated to the nation.
It is best to begin the visit in Exhibition Room 1. It displays maps and historical books marking Dokdo as Korean territory from the Silla period to the present. Exhibition Room 2 focuses on maps and historical books from after the First Sino-Japanese War. Exhibition Room 3 is used for special exhibitions.
An exhibition comparing the Korean Empire’s incorporation in 1900 with Shimane Prefecture’s 1905 proclamation
In Exhibition Room 2, visitors can examine materials showing that when the Korean Empire incorporated Ulleungdo into its official local administrative system in 1900, it specified Dokdo as part of its jurisdiction. Comparing the years and documents makes clear that the museum is not simply an island information center but an institution that collects historical records concerning territorial sovereignty.
The same exhibition room presents the process by which Japan seized Dokdo during the Russo-Japanese War in 1905 through Shimane Prefecture Notice No. 40, along with Japanese maps, historical books, and documents that continued to mark Dokdo as an outlying island of the Korean Peninsula even after the seizure.
The Dokdo Volunteer Defense Forces and 19th-century American whaling-ship records
Exhibition Room 3 displays materials about the activities of the Dokdo Volunteer Defense Forces, organized by young people from Ulleungdo who had served in the Korean War. Photographs containing Japanese statements and claims concerning Dokdo can also be viewed here.
Voyage logs describing the discovery of Ulleungdo and Dokdo by 19th-century American whaling ships are also on display. Since the exhibition examines overseas navigation records alongside political and diplomatic materials, comparing the dates when the maps and documents were created can help visitors understand the displays.
Exploring Dokdo’s four seasons and ecology in the large-screen theater
The Natural Ecology Video Room introduces Dokdo’s plants, animals, birds, and fish through photographs. Travelers who take a long time to read the documents may find it helpful to first learn about Dokdo’s natural environment here before moving on to the history exhibitions.
The video room presents Dokdo’s four seasons through large-screen footage. Visiting the museum is not the same experience as going to Dokdo itself, so visitors should come expecting an indoor venue where the island’s ecology and seasonal changes are presented through video.
Using the elevator at the entrance to Yaksu Park, about 700 m from Dodong Port
The address of the Dokdo Museum is 90-17 Yaksuteo-gil, Ulleung-eup, Ulleung County, Gyeongsangbuk-do, postal code 40225. Visitors from outside the area can use Dodong Port as their starting point; guide materials describe the museum as about a 700 m walk from the port. Other guides state that the museum appears after walking uphill for about 500 m from Dodong Port, so it is safer to think of the route as an uphill journey rather than a flat-distance walk.
The museum is on a hill inside Dodong Yaksu Park. Visitor reviews mention that an elevator at the entrance to Dodong Yaksu Park can be used to go up toward the museum. However, information about wheelchair and stroller access inside the museum, as well as slopes and stairs, has not been confirmed, so travelers using mobility aids should inquire by telephone.
Open 09:00–18:00, with final admission at 17:30
According to tourism information updated in December 2025, visiting hours are 09:00–18:00, with final admission at 17:30. Since visitors must enter at least 30 minutes before closing, those arriving late at Dodong Port should calculate the uphill travel time first. The museum is listed as open year-round.
Admission is free. The contact numbers are 054-790-6592 / 054-790-6437, and the official website is https://www.dokdomuseum.go.kr. Operating hours and admission information may change; this article is based on information current as of December 2025.
Guided-tour times: 10:10, 11:10, 14:10, and 15:10 from Tuesday to Sunday
Guided tours of the permanent exhibition are held four times a day from Tuesday to Sunday, at 10:10, 11:10, 14:10, and 15:10. Travelers who want a guided tour should enter at one of these four times. Although the museum is listed as open year-round, the regular exhibition-guidance schedule applies from Tuesday to Sunday.
English and Japanese leaflets are available for foreign visitors. “Museum Tour with a Curator” for groups has previously been offered as a reservation service once a day, so group visitors should inquire at 054-790-6592 or 054-790-6437.
Combining the Dokdo Observatory Cable Car and Dodong Yaksu Park in one route
The Dokdo Observatory Cable Car is listed as being within 75 m of the museum, while Dodong Yaksu Park is within 133 m. Visitors can therefore see both places after the museum without making a separate long journey. However, the cable car’s operating hours and fares were not confirmed in this information.
Parking at the museum is listed as available, but the parking fee and capacity were not confirmed. Travelers comparing a walking itinerary from Dodong Port with a driving itinerary should check with the museum by telephone before departure if they need parking information.
Special exhibitions continuing since 2001 and recommended visiting time
After holding its first special exhibition in 2001, “Joint North-South Exhibition of Materials on the Illegality of Japan’s Annexation of Korea,” the Dokdo Museum presented “Exhibition of Old Maps Marking Joseon’s Maritime Territory” in 2002 and “Dokdo True-Scenery Prints Exhibition” in 2004. In 2007, it held an “Exhibition of Old Photographs of Ulleungdo,” followed in 2008 by the “Traveling Exhibition of Old Maps of Ulleungdo and Dokdo from the Dokdo Museum.”
In 2009, the exhibition “Shedding Light on Modern Ulleungdo and Dokdo” was held. Academic events included “Korean and Japanese Perspectives on the Sea Surrounding Dokdo” in 2000 and the “Ulleungdo Forum” in 2010. Some visitor reviews recommend allowing about one hour, including commentary by a cultural tourism interpreter.
Checking the latest information on the official website and by telephone after a free visit
Since the museum is free and listed as open year-round, it is easy to include in a Dodong itinerary on Ulleungdo. However, visitors should consider in advance that the route from Dodong Port involves about 700 m of uphill walking. The museum is a place to explore Dokdo through maps, historical books, documents, and videos rather than a departure point for actually entering Dokdo, so it may not suit travelers expecting the same experience as visiting the island.
Check the latest notices on the official website, https://www.dokdomuseum.go.kr, before visiting. For operating, parking, and accessibility inquiries, call 054-790-6592 / 054-790-6437. The Dokdo Observatory Cable Car is within 75 m of the museum and Dodong Yaksu Park is within 133 m, making them easy to combine with an itinerary in the Dodong area.
Before You Go
- Address
- 90-17 Yaksuteo-gil, Ulleung-eup, Ulleung County, Gyeongsangbuk-do, postal code 40225
- Hours
- 09:00–18:00, final admission 17:30 (entry required at least 30 minutes before closing)
- Closed
- Listed as open year-round
- Admission
- Free
- Phone
- 054-790-6592 / 054-790-6437
- Official site
- https://www.dokdomuseum.go.kr
- Transport
- About a 700 m walk from Dodong Port. Reviews mention that visitors can take an elevator at the entrance to Dodong Yaksu Park.
- Parking
- Listed as available. The parking fee was not confirmed.
- Time needed
- About 1 hour according to visitor reviews (including cultural tourism interpreter commentary)
- Accessibility
- Reviews mention an elevator at the entrance to Dodong Yaksu Park, but wheelchair and stroller access inside the museum was not confirmed.
The information above is current as of the time of writing. Check the official information again before visiting.
Places
Nearby Attractions 3
-
1
Dokdo Observatory Cable CarTake the cable car up to Manghyangbong Observatory and enjoy the scenery of Ulleungdo. -
2
Dodong Mineral Spring ParkEnjoy Dodong’s natural surroundings at a leisurely pace while exploring the mineral spring and walking trails. -
3
Haengnam Coastal Walking TrailWalk along the coastal cliff path between Dodong Port and Jeodong Port while enjoying the sea views.
Food & Dining 3
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4
Daeae RestaurantSavor local Ulleungdo specialties such as mussel rice, barnacle rice, and squid innards stew. -
5
Baegane HwaroguiA Korean barbecue restaurant serving charcoal-grilled Ulleungdo beef and black pork. -
6
Dukkeobi SikdangServing Ulleungdo specialties such as squid and pork bulgogi, mussel rice, and barnacle rice.
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