North Gyeongsang Province announced Monday it will hold a month-long series of educational programs, academic conferences, experiential activities and commemorative events throughout October to mark Dokdo Month.

The province will host "Dokdo Awareness Education" sessions and a "Dokdo Golden Bell" quiz competition for 3,161 students at 23 elementary, middle and high schools across the region. A hands-on program called "Our Children's Love for Dokdo" will also be offered to 196 children at eight kindergartens and daycare centers in Pohang.

Daegu University and Kyungpook National University, which newly launched Dokdo expert training courses this year, will each hold six special lectures on Dokdo. Teacher training sessions aimed at strengthening Dokdo education will also be held for teachers responsible for Dokdo education at the education support offices in Mungyeong and Yeongju.

The Dokdo Research Institute at Yeungnam University will organize an academic conference on developing teaching and learning models for Dokdo education and improving the direction of Dokdo Education Week.

A "K-Dokdo Promotion Center" will be set up at various festivals and expos, offering hands-on activities such as a Dokdo quiz competition and a three-dimensional Dokdo model-making workshop.

A tour of Ulleungdo and Dokdo is also planned for 175 foreign residents in Korea, including native-speaking teachers and international students.

On Oct. 22, a ceremony marking the 2026 Dokdo Month will be held at the province's eastern government complex, featuring a Dokdo flash mob, a special lecture and an exhibition of award-winning works from the Dokdo Arts and Literature Competition.

Dokdo Month was established by North Gyeongsang Province through a provincial ordinance on July 4, 2005, in response to Shimane Prefecture's designation of Feb. 22 as "Takeshima Day."

Nam Geon, director of the province's Marine Affairs and Fisheries Bureau, said the province had prepared a strong lineup of programs for October to help people remember Dokdo and appreciate its value. "We will use the power of education and culture grounded in historical fact to make clear that Dokdo is the territory of the Republic of Korea," he said.


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com