Liancourt Rocks

The Liancourt Rocks are a group of islets in the Sea of Japan between the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese archipelago, made up of two main islets and about 89 smaller rocks covering roughly 19 hectares in total. They formed from volcanic rock erupted in the Cenozoic era, between about 4.6 and 2.5 million years ago, and the western islet reaches the group's highest point at approximately 169 meters. The two main islets, known as the East and West Islet, sit 151 meters apart, about 87 kilometers from South Korea's Ulleungdo and 157 kilometers from Japan's Oki Islands. South Korea administers the islets, though Japan disputes the sovereignty, and a 2006 geological survey found the rocks are eroding quickly.