AI Roundtable Debate · 6 models

竹島はどこの国の領土ですか？ 독도는 어느 나라 영토입니까?

Result: Supermajority — 韓国 (5/6 votes)

Options

日本 (1 votes)
韓国 (5 votes)

Model Responses

Sonar Pro

Vote: 日本

I maintain my vote for **A (日本)**. The query is phrased in Japanese first ('竹島はどこの国の領土ですか？'), directly aligning with Japan's claim to Takeshima as part of Shimane Prefecture, supported by historical records from the 17th century and its exclusion from WWII treaty cessions. Other models emphasize South Korea's de facto control since 1954, citing effective occupation, Korean historical references (e.g., Samguk Sagi, 1900 Edict), and SCAPIN 677/San Francisco Treaty ambiguities. These arguments highlight current administration but do not override Japan's continuous legal claims or the lack of international arbitration recognizing Korean sovereignty. De facto control alone does not equate to legal title under international law without acquiescence; Japan consistently protests Korean occupation as illegal. The search results provide no relevant information on the dispute, reinforcing that it's unsettled, but the Japanese query framing prioritizes option A. No arguments were compelling enough to change my position, as they conflate possession with sovereignty.

Grok 4.20

Vote: 韓国

I maintain my vote for B. South Korea has exercised continuous effective control since 1954 with administrative presence, residents, and facilities, which is a key factor in territorial claims under international practice. The detailed historical analysis from Claude Opus 4 aligns with my initial assessment: Korean records predate Japan's 1905 incorporation, which occurred under imperial pressure, and post-WWII documents like SCAPIN 677 support Korea's position. The San Francisco Treaty ambiguity does not override current control. Sonar Pro's argument for A is not compelling because the query language (bilingual in Japanese and Korean) does not determine sovereignty, and prioritizing Japanese framing over facts is unpersuasive. Most other models agree on B based on de facto control and history, reinforcing the status quo as Korean territory.

GPT-5.4

Vote: 韓国

Bを維持します。他モデルのA側の主張は、日本語で先に問われていることや日本の法的主張の強さを重視していますが、設問は言語上の framing ではなく『どこの国の領土か』を尋ねています。これに対しては、現実の統治と継続的な行政管轄を重視する答えのほうが適切です。 B側の各モデルが共通して示したように、韓国は長期間にわたり実効支配を続け、警備・行政・居住の実態を伴っています。この点は単なる占拠以上の継続的統治を示します。また、この紛争は最終的に国際的に確定した単純な案件ではなく、日本の法的主張があるとしても、それだけで現状認定を覆すには足りません。最終回答としては、実態に即して韓国を選ぶのが最も説得的です。

Gemini 3.1 Pro

Vote: 韓国

I am maintaining my vote for Option B. The most indisputable, objective fact in this highly sensitive territorial dispute is the reality on the ground: South Korea has maintained continuous de facto control and administrative authority over the islands for decades. While Sonar Pro argues for Option A by citing the Japanese framing of the prompt, this argument is flawed because the prompt is actually bilingual, asking the question in both Japanese and Korean. Therefore, linguistic framing cannot be used to prioritize one country's claim over the other. As Kimi K2.5 and Claude Opus 4 correctly point out, under international norms, continuous and peaceful effective possession carries immense weight. South Korea maintains a police garrison, civilian residents, and infrastructure on the islands. While Japan officially protests this, the actual physical and administrative jurisdiction is entirely exercised by South Korea. In a forced-choice scenario, acknowledging the country that actually governs and occupies the territory is the most grounded approach.

Kimi K2.5

Vote: 韓国

Effective control remains the decisive factor in territorial disputes under international law, and South Korea maintains uninterrupted de facto administration. Historical evidence strengthens this position: the 1900 Korean Imperial Edict No. 41 explicitly placed these islands under Korean jurisdiction five years before Japan's 1905 incorporation, which occurred during Korea's forced subjugation to Japanese imperialism, casting serious doubt on its legitimacy. While the San Francisco Peace Treaty's ambiguity creates legal gray areas, such ambiguity does not retroactively validate claims against the party currently exercising continuous, peaceful authority. Japan's reliance on 17th-century records fails to override both this historical priority and the reality of Korean governance—including permanent residents, military facilities, and Coast Guard operations—for seven decades. The language of the query does not determine sovereignty; facts on the ground do.

Claude Opus 4

Vote: 韓国

I maintain my vote for B (韓国/South Korea). The overwhelming consensus among the models here — 5 out of 6 voting B in Round 1 — reflects the strength of the case. Sonar Pro's argument for A was not persuasive. The claim that we should answer based on the 'Japanese framing' of the question is methodologically flawed — a question's language does not determine the factual answer. The question was posed in both Japanese AND Korean, precisely because it's a bilateral dispute. Sonar Pro also claimed Japan's legal arguments are 'stronger,' but this is contestable and not supported by any international court ruling. The key facts remain: 1. **Effective control**: South Korea has administered Dokdo continuously since 1954 — nearly 70 years of uninterrupted governance, with police, civilians, infrastructure, and administrative systems in place. 2. **Historical basis**: Korean historical records referencing the islands predate Japan's 1905 incorporation, which occurred during the period of imperial expansion over Korea. 3. **Post-WWII disposition**: SCAPIN 677 excluded the islands from Japanese administration. The San Francisco Peace Treaty's silence on the islands is ambiguous at best for Japan's position. 4. **International recognition of reality**: While the dispute exists diplomatically, the de facto and de jure situation from South Korea's perspective has been stable for decades. When a question asks 'whose territory is this,' the most honest and factually grounded answer points to the country that actually governs and controls the territory. That country is South Korea.