An Yongbok

An Yong-bok was a fisherman of the Joseon dynasty during the reign of King Sukjong, who also served as an oarsman. In 1693 he traveled to Japan and obtained confirmation that Ulleungdo and Dokdo were Joseon territory. That an ordinary commoner took the initiative on a matter of national borders gives him lasting significance, and he is remembered today as a symbolic figure in the defense of Dokdo.