S. Korea leader urged not to visit disputed islands

TOKYO - Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba on Friday urged South Korean President Lee Myung Bak to cancel a planned visit to a pair of disputed islands, which claimed by both Seoul and Tokyo, saying that the trip would hurt bilateral ties.

Gemba told reporters that the visit "would definitely have a large impact" on relations between the two countries, already tense due to the dispute over the islets, Takeshima in Japan or Dokdo in South Korea.

The South Korean government notified the Japanese Embassy in Seoul on Thursday that Lee will arrive on the pair of islands between 10 am and 2 pm on Friday, and will hold a news conference, according to Kyodo news citing sources close to bilateral ties.

If the visit were made, it would be the first by a South Korean president to visit the disputed islands.