Sea of Japan naming dispute

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There is a dispute over using the name "Sea of Japan" to refer to the sea bordered by Russia, Japan, North Korea, and South Korea. Although Sea of Japan, or equivalent translations, are commonly used in international productions, North and South Korea insist on different names.

North Korea proposes the "East Sea of Korea"^[1] and South Korea proposes the "East Sea",^[2] or the "Sea of Korea/Korean Sea" ^[3] respectively, instead of or as names concurrent with "Sea of Japan".

Contents 1 Arguments 1.1 Geographical reasons 1.2 Historical reasons 1.3 Ownership 1.4 Ambiguity 1.5 Inconsistency 1.6 Precedence 2 Historical developments of the dispute 3 Current stance of the international organizations 4 Response of media and publishers 5 Historical maps and studies 6 See also 7 External links 8 References

[edit] Arguments

South Korean groups advocate "East Sea" should be restored as a historically and geographically appropriate name, since the sea was known as "Sea of Korea/Corea/Joseon" or "East/Oriental Sea" until Japan's militant expansionism.^[4] They insist the title "Sea of Japan" was unfairly standardized during Japanese rule of Korea, and thus remains a symbol of Japan's imperialistic past. Korea argues that during the critical period for asserting the name East Sea in the international arena, Korea was deprived of its sovereignty, and had no diplomatic representation on the global stage.^[3] Koreans were even denied the use of their native language (1938~), and forced to adopt Japanese names (1940~), while time-honored Korean geographical names including the East Sea (Donghae - 동해/東海) were changed to Japanese ones.^[3] Korea's position is that while "Sea of Korea" is actually the more common historical European name, "East Sea," without reference to a specific country, is more neutral^{[citation needed]}.

Since the 1990s, South Korea has been making efforts to change the official international name referring to the sea. The North Korean government supports South Korea's position,^[5] but uses "East Sea of Korea" in its English publications instead."^[1][6]

Japan insists that the name "Sea of Japan" had internationally established itself as a single name by the early 19th century during a period in which Japan was under the isolation policy (Sakoku).^[7][8] Accordingly, they state, Japan could at that time have had no influence on the international community in regards to the naming of the sea. Therefore, the claim by the Koreas that the name is a "remnant of colonialism" in the early 20th century is completely groundless, and it is not acceptable for Korea to try to change the name based on the incorrect recognition.^[9]

Both sides in the dispute have put forward a number of arguments to support their claim. Some of these arguments are not supported by the respective governments, but rather by nationalist organizations^{[citation needed]}. Around 2002, the volunteer Korean online organization VANK began an aggressive e-mail campaign aimed at webmasters, with some success but also backlash from supporters of Japan's position.^[10]

[edit] Geographical reasons

Japan argues that because the marginal sea is separated by the Japanese Archipelago from the Pacific Ocean, the sea was named Sea of Japan.^[11] Of the nine other marginal seas, two are named for the marginal feature^{[citation needed]}. Korea argues that the adjective “East” describes its geographical position east of the Asian continent (although it is west of Japan), analogous to the North Sea of the European continent (although it is south of many European countries).

[edit] Historical reasons

South Korea and Japan use selective samples of old European maps to support their claim. South Korea point to maps that show "Sea of Korea" or "East Sea", whereas the Japan point to maps that show "Sea of Japan" to argue that the name was in use before the rise of Japanese imperialism. Many old maps are ambiguous and some even do not include Korea or Japan.^[7][8]

Japan claims that the term "Sea of Japan" was originally named by Westerners and became the de facto standard before Japan gained commercial and political influence over other nations.^[11] Part of the dispute boils down to the disagreement over when "Sea of Japan" became the de facto standard^{[citation needed]}. Japan claims dates in the early 19th century,^[7][8] whereas Korea claim dates in the early 20th century when Korea was colonized by Japan.^[3]

South Korea pointed out that a few 19th-century Japanese maps even referred to the sea as the "Sea of Joseon (Korea)",^[12] including the 1855 Matsuda Rokuzan's Chikyubankoku zenzu (松田 緑山の地球萬國 全圖, ^?),^{[citation needed]} and the 1870 Meiji kaitei bankoku yochibunzu (明治 改訂 万國 輿地分図？, ^?).^{[citation needed]} Additionally, in several Japanese maps, the Pacific Ocean was called "大日本海" (the Great Sea of Japan), and the Korean Peninsula side of the Sea of Japan was called "朝鮮海" (Sea of Korea).^[13]

[edit] Ownership

Some supporters of the Korean position, such as the VANK (Voluntary Agency Network of Korea), argue that "Sea of Japan" implies ownership over an international body of water^{[citation needed]}. Japanese^{[name a specific person/group]} counter by saying that the name of a body of water does not imply ownership and is merely a name, mentioning some seas that contains a country's name such as Indian Ocean, South China Sea, East China Sea and Korea Strait. Some Koreans^{[name a specific person/group]} argue that the name "Sea of Japan" is related to ownership because it was the Japanese delegates who submitted the name to the IHB when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule^{[citation needed]}. Supporters of the Japanese position^{[name a specific person/group]} also point out that the Russian name for the sea also means "Sea of Japan" and is not controversial in that country.

The term "East Sea", on the other hand, implies the sea is along the east coast of Korea and China, ignoring that it is west of Japan and south of Russia.

[edit] Ambiguity

Japanese groups claim that the name "East Sea" is not suitable as an international geographic name, because it could refer to various places including the neighbouring East China Sea,^[14] and used as compound words such as the East Sea Fleet and the East Sea Bridge. Much of this argument is based on translations of local names into English. Commonly cited potential confusions are the Vietnamese local language name for the South China Sea, "Bien Dong", which is frequently translated as "East Sea",^[15] or the Baltic Sea which in many European languages is called the equivalent of "East Sea".^[16][17] The Koreans state that this is irrelevant as there are other geographical places that share similar or the same name^{[citation needed]}.

On the other hand, some Japanese argue that "East Sea" is a mere translation of the Korean local name Donghae, and thus it is not really an English name per se^{[citation needed]}. However, Korea's argument for "East Sea" stems from the term's use in European maps, not as a translation of the local name^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Inconsistency

Both Koreas refer to the water south of the Korean Peninsula as in the Korean language as "Namhae", which means "South Sea".^[18][19] A part of this area of "Namhae" is included in the sea that is referred to as the "Sea of Japan" in the current guideline S-23 (third edition, 1953).^[20] This means that the body of water that South Korea claims to call "East Sea" internationally includes a part of the water which South Korea call "South Sea", which is not widely accepted internationally. Japan argues that this kind of inconsistency can also be a problem to navigational safety.^[21]

[edit] Precedence

Some Japanese groups^{[name a specific person/group]} insist that renaming or showing both simultaneously runs counter to the spirit of geographic standardization and will be a troubling precedent^{[citation needed]}. Since the name "Sea of Japan" is the internationally established name, some people^{[name a specific person/group]} think that renaming is an unnecessary complication^{[citation needed]}. Koreans^{[name a specific person/group]} disagree stating that setting the name right is more important^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Historical developments of the dispute

• In 1928, Limits of Oceans and Seas, the first edition of the guideline by the IHB, adopted the "Japan Sea", among many other geographical names. At the time, Korea could not participate because it was under Japanese occupation. Therefore, South Korea insists that the "Sea of Japan" has been used almost exclusively on international maps, although the parties disagree on when and which name was previously prevalent.

• In 1957, South Korea joined IHO.^{[citation needed]}

• Since the early 1970's, South Koreans have argued against the "Sea of Japan" name.^[22]

• In 1974, IHO released technical resolution A.4.2.6 independently of this dispute. This resolution is frequently referred to, although it only gives general guidance. It endorses the principle that when the sharing countries of a geographical feature do not agree on a common name, the different names should be recognized simultaneously.

• In 1977, the third UN Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names (UNCSGN) adopted resolution III/20 entitled "Names of Features beyond a Single Sovereignty". The resolution recommended:

"when countries sharing a given geographical feature do not agree on a common name, it should be a general rule of cartography that the name used by each of the countries concerned will be accepted. A policy of accepting only one or some of such names while excluding the rest would be inconsistent as well as inexpedient in practice."

• In 1986, Draft for the fourth edition of the guideline of IHO, Limits of Oceans and Seas (S-23), was completed and the "Sea of Japan" appeared as a sole appellation. South Korea did not raise an objection against the name "Sea of Japan."

• In 1992, South Korea raised the issue at the sixth UNCSGN. Japan objected and the issue was not addressed.

• In 1995, South Korea deleted "Japan Sea" from its official nautical charts. Before then, South Korea's nautical charts showed both "Japan Sea" and "Tong Hae" (the then used romanization of "Donghae"), out of respect for international conventions.

• In 1997, South Korea raised the issue again at the seventh UNCSGN and Japan opposed. The issue was not addressed but the resolution III/20 was recollected, which urges Japan and South Korea to reach a consensus. To date, however, neither country is willing to compromise their position, although Korea suggests that both names be used until the dispute is resolved.

• In 2002, South Korea raised the issue again at the eighth UNCSGN. Japan objected again and the issue was not addressed.

• In 2002, the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) distributed a circular letter asking for a vote for omitting pages containing the Sea of Japan from the fourth edition of Limits of Oceans and Seas. After Japan's objection, the IHO withdrew the letter.

• On April 23, 2004, the United Nations affirmed in a written document to the Japanese government that it will continue using the name "Sea of Japan" in its official documents. However, it has agreed to leave the topic open for further discussion. In a letter to South Korea, it was explained that the UN was not determining the validity of either name, but using the currently most widely used term until the parties resolved the disagreement.

• In 2006, members of the National Assembly of South Korea started promotion of "Sea of Korea" as an international name instead of "East Sea" and is making efforts for the submission to IHO.^[23][24][25]

[edit] Current stance of the international organizations

The United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names (UNCSGN) and the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) have so far neither accepted nor denied Korea's claims, but left the issue open to discussion while continuing to use "Sea of Japan". The United Nations confirmed its adoption of "Sea of Japan" in its official documents in March 2004, ^[26], but also stated that "the practice of the UN Secretariat is to use, in the absence of an internationally agreed standard, the most widespread and generally recognized denomination. This practice is without any prejudice to the position of any Member State of the United Nations on a particular appellation and does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations. The use of an appellation by the Secretariat based on the practice is without prejudice to any negotiations or agreements between the interested parties and should not be interpreted as advocating or endorsing any party’s position, and can in no way be invoked by any party in support of a particular position in the matter." ^[27]

IHO and UNSCGN resolutions endorse the principle of the simultaneous use of different names when countries sharing a geographical feature do not agree on a common name. ^[28]

[edit] Response of media and publishers

Some publishers and media outlets have responded to the dispute by either adopting both names on maps, or—in very rare cases—leaving the area blank, until a consensus can be reached between Japan and Korea.

• In 1997, Rand McNally, one of the largest mapmakers in the United States, adopted a policy of concurrent use of both names, "East Sea" and "Sea of Japan".

• In 1999, the National Geographic Society recognized that the name was legitimately disputed by South Korea. Under its policy (if a geographical feature is shared by more than one nation, and its name is disputed, use the most commonly recognized form of the name first and label the disputed name in parentheses), "Sea of Japan" appears as the primary label and "East Sea" appears below in parentheses. ^[29]

• Many other publishers have responded similarly, such as The Times (of London), Financial Times, Encyclopedia Britannica,^[30] Microsoft Encarta,^{[31] [32]} Columbia Encyclopedia,^[33] World Book Encyclopedia,^[34] American Heritage Dictionary,^[35] World Atlas,^[36] and About.com, usually including "East Sea" as the secondary label.

• In 2003, the French Defense Ministry issued nautical maps included both terms "Sea of Japan" and "East Sea". ^[37][38] It set back to "Sea of Japan" as a mono-name in the map issued in 2004.^[39]

• The World Factbook published by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States announced to follow the guidance of the United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN). ^[40]

• After receiving protests in 2006, Google added the term "East Sea" near the Korean coast of Google Earth, with "Sea of Japan" remaining on the opposite side. ^[41]

[edit] Historical maps and studies

• (SK) In July 2001, Korea produced a report on the names used on maps published in Europe, mostly in the 18th century, possessed by the British Library, claiming that of 90 maps which name the sea, 62 refer to it as "Sea of Korea", 8 as "East Sea", 2 as both "Sea of Korea" and "East Sea", and 10 use "Sea of Japan".^[42] (Focus of Research: 18th century)

• (SK) In December 2002, South Korea produced a report on the names used on 228 maps published prior to 1800 that are held by the U.S. Library of Congress, claiming that two-thirds of the maps naming the sea used "East Sea", "Sea of Korea", or variants. Of the 103 maps that named the sea, the report claims 66 percent named it "Sea of Korea" and/or "East Sea" or variants. ^[43] (Focus of Research: 18th century). The authors of this study interpretted maps containing "Oriental Sea" as "variations" of "East Sea."

• (J) In September 2003, Japan produced a report ^[44] on the names used on maps published in Europe between 1801 and 1861 possessed by the British Library and the University of Cambridge, claiming that in the British Library, of 37 maps ^[45] containing the areas surrounding the sea, 32 or 86.5% used "Sea of Japan" and 5 used "Sea of Korea". In the University of Cambridge, it found 21 maps ^[46] containing the areas surrounding the sea, of which 18 or 85.7% used "Sea of Japan" and 3 used "Sea of Korea". ^[47] (Focus of Research: First half of the 19th century)

• (J) In March 2004, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan published a report ^[48] with the list of maps it investigated ^[49] on the investigation of maps at the Bibliothèque nationale de France. The study claims that from the 1,495 maps possessed by the Bibliotheque Nationale de France and published between the 16th and 19th century show that of 407 maps for which a name was recorded, 249, or 61% bore the name "Sea of Japan" and 60, or 15% bore the name "Sea of Korea". It found no maps that bore the name "East Sea". Furthermore, the report claims, of the maps published in the first half of the 19th century, 90.0% or 99 maps bore the name "Sea of Japan" and of the maps published in the latter half of the 19th century 100% or 105 maps bore the same name. Japan objects to translating "Oriental Sea" in various European languages as the equivalent of the "East Sea" in English. ^[50] (Focus of Research: 16th~19th centuries)

• (J) In July 2005, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan published a report ^[51][52]of the investigation it conducted on the dispute. According to the report, the investigators from Geographical Survey Institute of Japan looked into maps published between 1300 and 1900 U.S. that are held by the Library of Congress and from 1,435 maps ^[53] which mention the disputed sea, 1,110 maps use "Sea of Japan". (Focus of Research: 14th~19th centuries)

• (SK) South Korea's Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Fisheries website states that by its count, of 763 historic maps in various government and university libraries worldwide, 440 maps use "Sea of Korea", "East Sea", or variants, and 123 use "Sea of Japan" or variants. ^[54] (retrieved October 2005). This report includes a reference to the 2002 University of Southern California's "^[55] Sea of Korea maps digital archive", built primarily from a collection geared exclusively to documenting the use of alternate names to this body of water (the David Lee Collection of maps). (Focus of Research: All of Cartographic History)

[edit] See also

• Korean-Japanese disputes
• Dokdo
• Persian Gulf naming dispute

[edit] External links

• East Sea Map Study — by the South Korean Overseas Information Service
• Society for East Sea, Seoul National University, hosted by VANK
• Naming of "Japan Sea". Japan Coast Guard
• Sea of Japan — Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs defends the use of "Sea of Japan".
• Sea of Japan - A Globally Established Name (Video Clips)

[edit] References