Since ancient times Dokdo(Tekesima by the Japanese) has been a Korean Sovereign Territory, despite Japan's claims that it was annexed to Japan in 1905 in the middle of Russo-Japanese war. Later that year, in the wake of Japan's victory over Russia, the United States colluded with Japan about Japanese control over Korea in exchange for the U.S. control of the Philippines in a secret deal.
Emboldened by the deal with the United States, Imperialist Japan has wantonly laid claim over Dokdo ever since despite of historical facts and the world opinion. In 1910, Korea became a victim of Imperial Japan's colonization until 1945, the end of the World War II.
However, even after Japan's alleged annexation of Dokdo, many U.S. government publications and maps upheld and recognized Korean ownership