U.S. Military Requested, and Received, Permission from ROK Prime Minister Chang Myun to Use Dokdo as a Bombing Range, (June 20, 1951)

This document was first discovered by Mark S. Lovmo at the US National Archives in 2004, and has since been cited (often unattributed) in other articles on the bombing of Dokdo

Lieutenant General John B. Coulter.

Lieutenant General John B. Coulter, Deputy Army Commander, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea.


This letter, dated June 20, 1951, is evidence that the U.S. Military requested the use of Dokdo (Liancourt Rocks) from the Government of the Republic of Korea. This letter is significant in that it shows that U.S. authorities approached the Korean Government an entire year before concluding an agreement with Japan through the Joint Comittee implementing Japanese-American security arrangements on July 26, 1952, that listed the island as a "facility of the Japanese Government".

Letter from Lt. Gen. John B. Coulter (Deputy Army Commander, 8th U.S. Army) to ROK PM Chang Myun.



This progress report, prepared on July 1, 1951 from a Colonel Patterson, G-3 (Operations), summarized the response from the Korean Government to the request from Lieutenant General Coulter for the use of Dokdo (Liancourt Rocks) as a bombing range. The ROK Prime Minister Chang Myun subsequently gave his approval for the use of Dokdo as a bombing range.

Progress Report on the inquiry made to the ROK PM for use of Dokdo as a bombing range. Permission was granted



The above letters requesting the use of Dokdo as a bombing range were enclosed in this letter that E. Allan Lightner (American Embassy, Pusan) sent to Major General Thomas W. Herren to thank him for providing a copy of a notice (dated January 20, 1953) that Gen. Herren sent to the Korean Foreign Minister notifying the ROK Government that Dokdo (Liancourt Rocks) would no longer be used as a bombing range.

Lightner´s letter to Gen. Herren, which enclosed copies of the request and permission to use Liancourt Rocks as a bombing range.