In Seoul

THE South Koreans call them Dokdo. To the Japanese, the group of eastern-most islets no bigger than a football field are Takeshima.

But they have been at the centre of a decades-old dispute between Seoul and Tokyo - the latest storm breaking when Japan tried to conduct an underwater survey in the waters near the islets last week. 

South Korea has claimed them for a long time, but the Japanese never gave up their declarations of ownership, sparking protests. 

Source: AFP

I visited the place in 2005 and wasn't very impressed.

The islets are the fragmented remains of an ancient crater, with several deep caves formed by sea erosion. The two main islets on the eastern and western ends have tall granite hills covered with bright green moss. 

The western part is uninhabited, but the eastern end has a lighthouse, radar tower, helicopter landing pad and a three-storey dormitory for the South Korean police guards stationed there. 

The surrounding waters are rich fishing grounds - plankton abounding in the area, attracting salmon, trout and cod. And, there is also enough gas beneath the seabed to meet South Korea's energy needs for the next 30 years. 

Seoul's records show about 1,000 people with Dokdo addresses and a record 129,000 people visited the Dokdo islets last year. Local officials say the number increased by 28 percent compared to the previous year, averaging about 355 visitors per day - as public attention intensified over Japan's repeated claims to Dokdo. 

The government first allowed the public to visit the islets in 2005 and raised the maximum number of visitors to 1,880 per day in 2007. In the same year the total surpassed 100,000 for the first time.

That's a lot of tourists for a couple of rocks. It appears that a deserted outpost isn't a waste of tourism space if buffeted by strong waves and winds - and territorial interest.