An aerial view of the remote islands disputed with Japan, known as Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan, in the Sea of Japan (East Sea). South Korean President Lee Myung-bak paid an unprecedented visit on Friday to the islands, prompting Tokyo to recall its ambassador. Since 1954 Seoul has stationed a small coastguard detachment on the islands, which are also inhabited by two civilian residents, an elderly man and his wife. Yonhap News Agency Via Agence France Presse