WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- "For S. Korea, islands are outposts of national pride," reads a front-page story of the Washington Post's Friday edition.
It shed lights on Dokdo, a pair of rocky islets in the East Sea, after a rare trip by one of its reporters there earlier this week.
The South Korean government organized a helicopter tour of Dokdo, which is at the center of its diplomatic tensions with Japan, for a dozen foreign journalists. The event was apparently designed to show Seoul's control of Dokdo to the world in the face of Tokyo's claim.
The Post described Dokdo as poking up from the sea "like rabbit ears." It carried comments by a fisherman, one of the only two civilians residing on the volcanic outcroppings, and some of the 45 police officers stationed there.
In a separate report, the 24-hour cable news channel CNN said, "The rocky, unforgiving terrain reflects the current relationship between the two protagonists, South Korea and Japan."
Dokdo has been the focus of a longtime spat between the neighboring countries despite their ever-growing economic and cultural exchanges.
The territorial row has drawn more international attention since South Korean President Lee Myung-bak visited Dokdo in August, becoming the first South Korean president to do so.
Lee's move highlighted Seoul's resolve not to remain quiet about Tokyo's claim to Dokdo.
CNN quoted the head of the Dokdo guards, Lee Gwang-seup, as saying, "Japan wants to take our land by force. This has been our land since ancient times and we have to protect it."