South Korea turned away three Japanese opposition lawmakers Monday who were planning to visit a South Korean island near a pair of disputed islets claimed by Japan.

The three conservative politicians were stopped upon arrival at Seoul's Gimpo International Airport and compelled to return to Japan later in the day.

Yoshitaka Shindo, Tomomi Inada and Masahisa Sato of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party departed from Tokyo's Haneda airport in the morning but finally gave up on entering South Korea in the evening after the Japanese government asked South Korea in vain to reconsider the rejection, Shindo told Japanese reporters accompanying them.