Liancourt Rocks dispute Japan. In 1954, Japan proposed a reference to the International Court of Justice, which South Korea rejected, believing that the Liancourt Rocks are irrefutably South Korean territories, and thus should not be dealt through diplomatic negotiations or judicial settlement between South Korea and Japan. There are conflicting interpretations about the historical state of sovereignty over the islets. Korean claims are partly based on references to a Korean island called "Usan-do" in various historical records, maps and encyclopedias such as the "Samguk Sagi", "Annals of the Joseon Dynasty", "Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam" (), and "Dongguk munheon bigo" (). According to the Korean
Liancourt Rocks dispute what the Japanese then called Matsushima. However, there is no such description in the original "Yeojiji". Instead, "Dongguk yeojiji" says "...one theory has it that Usan-do and Ulleung-do are the same island..." as described in "Donggug Yeoji Seunglam" (1481). Usando is displayed on the cartographs made by Chong Sang-gi (1678~1752); (1822), and (by Kim Tae-gon, 1821–1846). Japanese believe it to be Jukdo, noting the distance, shape, size, and direction., while Koreans believe it to be Liancourt and they said that Usando was a former name of Liancourt. In 2011, Usando is found on the Kim Jeong-ho's "Daedong Yeojido". On March