The Liancourt Rocks are not an island in any conventional sense. They are the eroded remains of a volcanic formation that rose from the seafloor between 4.6 and 2.5 million years ago, now consisting of two main islets and roughly 90 surrounding rocks and reefs, of which 37 qualify as permanent land. The total surface area is just 19 hectares. The West Islet is larger and higher, its peak reaching 168.5 meters, while the East Islet offers more usable flat ground. Caves pierce the coastline of both islets, and the eastern one contains a crater. The islets are 151 meters apart. Geologists have noted that the rocks are eroding rapidly in geological terms, their volcanic composition vulnerable to the relentless waves and wind of the open sea.

In March 1965, a fisherman named Choi Jong-duk moved from nearby Ulleungdo to the islets to harvest octopus. He changed his administrative address to the Liancourt Rocks in 1981, becoming the first person to officially reside there. Choi lived on the islets until his death in September 1987. His son-in-law and wife followed, residing there from 1985 to 1992. In 1991, Kim Sung-do and Kim Shin-yeol transferred to the islets as permanent residents. When Kim Sung-do died in October 2018, Kim Shin-yeol became the sole civilian inhabitant. Kim Shin-yeol died on March 2, 2026, leaving the islets with no registered civilian residents. Staff from the Ulleung County Dokdo Management Office and twenty South Korean police officers remain stationed there. Ferries from Ulleungdo bring restricted numbers of tourists, up to 70 at a time, and in 2022 a total of 280,312 visitors made the journey.

Despite their barren appearance, the islets support a surprising diversity of life. Researchers have identified 49 plant species, 107 bird species, and 93 insect species on land, along with 160 algal and 368 invertebrate species in surrounding waters. The Liancourt Rocks were designated South Korea's Natural Monument Number 336 in 1982, recognized specifically as a breeding ground for band-rumped storm petrels, streaked shearwaters, and black-tailed gulls. Minke whales, orcas, and dolphins migrate through the surrounding waters. Historical records mention indigenous trees that were wiped out by overharvesting and fires from bombing drills, but recent investigation discovered ten spindle trees aged 100 to 120 years, survivors that had gone unnoticed. Fresh water does flow on the islets, roughly 1,100 to 1,200 liters daily, but guano contamination makes it unsuitable for drinking. Two desalination plants built in 2007 produce 28 tons of clean water each day.

The sovereignty dispute over the Liancourt Rocks is among the most emotionally charged territorial conflicts in East Asia. South Korea points to references to an island called Usando in medieval Korean records including the Samguk Sagi and the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, arguing these refer to today's Dokdo. Japanese scholars contend that the various historical references to Usando actually describe different islands at different times, including Jukdo and Ulleungdo. The first printed use of the name Dokdo appeared in a Japanese logbook in 1904. North Korea also claims the rocks as Korean territory. South Korea has controlled the islets since 1954, maintaining its police garrison as a continuous assertion of sovereignty. For many Koreans, the rocks carry significance that extends far beyond their 19 hectares of surface area, representing national identity and historical memory in a region where borders remain shaped by twentieth-century conflicts.