South Korean president Lee Myung-bak made a surprise visit to islets at the centre of a long-running territorial dispute with Japan, ignoring warnings from Tokyo that it would worsen the neighbours' strained relations.
Mr Lee made the trip to the rocky, largely uninhabited outcroppings in fish-rich waters with the governor of North Gyeongsang province, an official in the governor's office said.
Before the trip, officials said a visit would make Mr Lee the first South Korean leader to travel to the islets. Mr Lee also visited nearby Ulleung Island, home to a large South Korean population and not part of the dispute.
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