Since its establishment in 1948, the government of the Republic of Korea has been taking full control over Dokdo, a group of islets located in the East Sea. Based on its legal rights over the islets, it has stationed garrison and deployed patrol boats and other ships with a mission to guard Korea's eastern territorial sea, contiguous zone, and exclusive economic zone. It has also adopted measures to preserve its natural environment.

Korea's sovereignty over Dokdo is complete, both de jure and de facto, that cannot be shaken by any unfounded foreign claims. Dokdo is not an object of territorial dispute.

As part of the efforts to reinforce its sovereignty, the government plans to deploy helicopters and military vessels around the islets to beef up existing patrol of the area and counter unauthorized visits by Japanese.

Currently, a team of 37 Korean maritime police officers are guarding the islets, while police and naval vessels are patrolling around them.

The government has also drawn up various contingency plans, which will be followed by concrete steps to reinforce security in the seas and skies of the islets. Korea's maritime police will place their SWAT teams on the ships.

In addition, the government will spend 2.2 billion won by September 2005 to repair dock facilities for ships and roads for civilian visitors on Dokdo.

Senior government officials, police, and lawmakers have rushed to visit Dokdo after the government decided to ease travel restrictions in mid-March. Once the bans on civilian visits are removed, about 5,600 people are expected to visit the islets annually.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) will set up an earthquake and tsunami observatory on Dokdo by 2007 to enable Korea to better cope with natural disasters, a decision made on March 21, one day after a quake off Japan hit west of Japan's Kyushu Island, measuring 7 degrees on the Richter scale.