North Korea has issued stamps depicting Dokdo, a group of rocky islets at the center of territorial dispute between South Korea and Japan.

Pyongyang's state-run Korean Central News Agency said Sunday that the North has issued the stamps, titled "Joseon's Island of Dokdo," to demonstrate that the islets belong to the Korean Peninsula.

The stamps feature a photograph of Dokdo as well as an 18th century map of the Korean Peninsula and a lighthouse.

In January, South Korea also issued stamps featuring the islets. The incident flared up a fresh diplomatic dispute over the sovereignty of the islets.

The rocky volcanic outcroppings are uninhabited except for a contingent of South Korean coast guards. The islets, known as Takeshima in Japan, are surrounded by rich fishing grounds, and lie about halfway between the two countries.