🏞️ Liancourt Rocks

The Liancourt Rocks, known in Korea as Dokdo and in Japan as Takeshima, are a group of islets in the Sea of Japan between the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese archipelago administered by South Korea. The Liancourt Rocks comprise two main islets and 89 smaller rocks; the total surface area of the islets is 19 hectares and the highest elevation of 168.5 metres (553 ft) is on the West Islet. The Liancourt Rocks lie in rich fishing grounds that may contain large deposits of natural gas. The English name Liancourt Rocks is derived from Le Liancourt, the name of a French whaling ship that came close to being wrecked on the rocks in 1849.