At 131.5°E, 37.1°N, a pair of beautiful rocky islands, with around thirty smaller islands, lie in the East Sea or Sea of ​​Japan, teeming with plants, animals, fishing and natural gas (Dokdo/Takeshima Islands: Les Rochers de Liancourt). The Liancourt Rocks are in the midst of a long-running struggle for sovereignty, called Dokdo in the Republic of Korea and Takeshima in Japan (Yokota). This conflict began before the 1700s, when Japanese and Korean fishermen fought over fishing rights (Dokdo, History). Problems piled up, and former South Korean President Park Chung-hee reportedly took a half-joking, drastic approach, simply "driving it into oblivion", prompting a brief withdrawal of the arguments (Yokota). Even today there are sudden confrontations on this subject. This serious problem affects international diplomacy between the two nations, with relations still bitter. The history of these islands shows the competition and hatred between the two countries. The first mention of this island dates back to 512 AD, when the rocks were discovered and annexed by Korea during the Shilla dynasty. Then in 1693, a Korean fisherman claimed to Japan that the area was Korean territory, prohibiting fishing in Japan. In 1876, the Japanese reappeared and fished, followed by an apology from Japan in 1881 after protests from the Joseon dynasty. More recently, in 1945, Korea was liberated from Japanese colonization, sparking a longer and harsher conflict. (Dokdo, History) Since 1954, the South Korean Coast Guard has protected the islands (Profile: Dokdo/Takeshima Islands). For a long time, Korea dominated Japan. How exactly does this clash persist? Recent events are in the middle of paper......eb. May 12, 2014. “The beautiful Dokdo of Korea. » Korea Trade Organization, February 17, 2014. Web. May 12, 2014. McCurry, Justin. “Japan: Teachers will call the Senkaku and Takeshima Islands Japanese territory. » The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, January 28, 2014. Web. May 6, 2014. “Profile: Dokdo/Takeshima Islands.” BBC News. Np, August 10, 2012. Web. May 6, 2014. “Sea of ​​Japan.” Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas, nd Web. May 12, 2014 Yokota, Takashi. “You say Dokdo, I say Takeshima…” Newsweek International. September 10, 2012. Global Issues in Context. Internet. May 7 2014.