Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- Three Japanese lawmakers were denied entry at a South Korean airport Monday after they announced they would attempt a visit to an island near disputed territory in what Korea calls the East Sea and Japan calls the Sea of Japan. The lawmakers arrived at Gimpo International Airport near Seoul at 11:20 a.m. but were denied entry by the immigration service, according the Ministry of Justice. The trio is expected to return to Japan on a later flight, but details were not yet available, the Ministry of Justice said. The Japanese politicians announced they would visit Ulleung Island -- adjacent to the disputed Dokdo islets -- after the two countries clashed over a civilian aircraft running a test flight over the area.
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The politicians announce their intent to visit an island near disputed territory
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The disputed islets are known as Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan
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In July, Korean Air conducted a test flight over the islets
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The Japanese government issued a ban on flying with Korean air
@placeholder has long claimed the islets as its territory, but Seoul said all Korean territory was returned after the country won independence from colonial rule by Japan in 1945.