The environment ministry said Monday Ullung-do and Tok-do islands in the East Sea will be designated as a national park by 2004. The ministry said the government has decided to declare the two islands and nearby waters, spanning some 300 square kilometers, as Ullung-do National Park to protect their precious flora and fauna and other distinctive natural features. Ministry officials said following the designation, activities such as cooking and camping, construction of buildings, altering landscapes and mining of mineral resources will be restricted. The Japanese government has reportedly reacted remonstratively against the South Korean measures claiming it as a Japanese territory historically and legally.