Dear Samuel Osborne,

Hello, I am a high school student in South Korea, and also I'm a member of Dokdo Cyber Student Press. We are trying to promote the right history of our country and correct the wrong name to the world every web-site including world maps. I'd appreciate it if you could read my letter to the end.

Recently I saw an article you wrote before. The title was “US sails warship near Russia-claimed waters in Sea of Japan to challenge 'excessive maritime claims” and it published on Independent English online news.

I am sending you an e-mail to correct some errors about the name of "Sea of Japan" on your article. 

The East Sea is a coastal sea surrounded by the northeastern part of the Asian continent, the Korean Peninsula, Russia's Primorsky Krai, the Japanese archipelago, and Sakhalin Island. So it is not just Japan's sea but a sea that many countries share. Korean call that sea "East sea" but Japanese are calling "Sea of Japan". Koreans' name "East Sea" has been the name they as a people have used 2,000 years and not only in Korea but on world maps. The first record of " East Sea" was in the history of the three kingdoms and the sage of King Dong myeong and in the process of recording matters in around 59 B.C. The IHO and UN group of experts on geographical names or UNCSGN,the international organizations which determine the standard names of the world's seas, suggest that in the hard case on the agreement of the name for a landmark shared by 2 countries. It is ordinary principle to use both working name. Following this, the current for the sea between Korea and Japan should not have just one name decided on but the joint use of the Korean name "East Sea" and the Japanese “Sea of Japan” name together in accordance with international law.

I hope there is a chance to talk about the more reason why we should use "East Sea". I also want to explain our past history with Japan. So I hope you can truly understand why we claims this sea should be called to "East Sea". Also I 'll really appreciate if you add the word "East Sea" also.

Thank you for your reading and welcome your any opinion,

Hyunseo Lee