Seoul: The last remaining resident of South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo has died, leaving the outcroppings without a registered dweller, officials said Tuesday. Kim Shin-yeol, who along with her husband, Kim Sung-do, had lived on Dokdo since the late 1960s, passed away on March 2 at age 88, according to the Ulleung county government. Her husband had died earlier in October 2018 at the age of 79.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the couple made a living from fishing and became symbols of South Korea's control of the islets, which Japan has consistently laid claim to. During elections, they voted by absentee ballot. Kim Shin-yeol had largely been away from Dokdo since a typhoon damaged her house in 2020. As her health deteriorated, she mostly stayed with her daughter until her death.

Officers of the Dokdo Security Police and county employees have been stationed on the islets, but none are registered residents. A county official stated that the local government will not take immediate steps to fill the vacuum out of respect for the bereaved family but will consult with the North Gyeongsang provincial government in the future regarding the next steps.