The sea covered by the Korean Penninsula and the Japanese Archipelago is often described as 'Sea of Japan.' However, an alternative name exists; East Sea. In 1922, the International Hydrographic Organization attempted to unify different names of the world's seas. During that time, Korea was under Japanese colonization, and therefore did not have a voice in the decision to name the sea as 'Sea of Japan.'
In the 1974 recommendation by the IHO, it is suggested that if the nearby nations do not reach agreement on the name of the sea, then all the disputed names should be notated. Yet Japan keeps refusing to mark the sea as 'East Sea,' a traditional name that Koreans use to call this region.
The dispute is still continuing to this day, and as a Korean who best knows about how emotional our citizens get about this topic, I could not help but contact you.
Many international organizations are starting to write 'East Sea' with or instead of 'Sea of Japan' due to our efforts. Your participation to this ongoing trend will be greatly appreciated.
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