S. Korean leader due to visit disputed islands

South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak is expected to visit islands at the heart of a territorial dispute with Japan, his spokeswoman said.

South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak is expected later Friday to visit islands at the heart of a territorial dispute with Japan, his spokeswoman said, a trip set to ignite a sharp diplomatic row with Tokyo.

A South Korean national flag flutters aboard a hip during a tour in the Korean-controlled islands in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) -- known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea.

It would be the first-ever visit by a South Korean president to the rocky outcrops in the Sea of Japan (East Sea), known as Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japanese.

In Tokyo, Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba said any such trip "would have a great impact on Japan-South Korea relations" and Japan would "have to respond firmly".

The presidential spokeswoman said Lee was scheduled to visit South Korea's Ulleung island and would fly on by helicopter to nearby Dokdo if weather permitted.

South Korea and its former colonial ruler Japan have disputed ownership of the tiny Dokdo islands for decades. The South has stationed a small coastguard detachment on them since 1954.

Lee's visit would come just days before the August 15 anniversary of Japan's World War II surrender, which ended its 35-year colonial rule over Korea.

The spokeswoman denied Japanese media reports that Seoul notified Tokyo in advance of the trip. She told AFP there was no reason to notify Japan "of a visit to our territory".

It was unclear how long Lee would stay on Dokdo if the visit went ahead. The spokeswoman said his journey had been under consideration for a considerable time and there was no particular reason why it was being made now.

South Korea last week summoned a senior Japanese diplomat to strongly protest his country's renewed claim to the islands in its latest defence white paper.

Earlier in July it was Tokyo's turn to protest when a South Korean rammed his light truck into the main gate of Japan's embassy in Seoul.

He was reacting to an earlier demonstration in the city by a rightwing Japanese activist.

In August last year three Japanese lawmakers pushing their country's claim to the islands were denied entry to South Korea.

South Korea has announced it will stage a regular military exercise near the islands in mid-August, reportedly involving some 10 warships, plus F-15K fighter jets and other weaponry.

Many older Koreans have bitter memories of Japan's brutal colonial rule, and historical disputes still mar their relationship despite close economic ties.

In June Seoul at the last minute shelved the signing of a military information sharing agreement with Japan following Korean protests.

Seoul is also irked at Tokyo's refusal to compensate elderly Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II.

Lee's five-year presidential term ends next February and he is constitutionally barred from seeking re-election. Voters will choose his successor in December.