Dear webmaster,

Hello. This is Kun hee park who is a high school student in South Korea.

I have a great interest in geopolitics and oceanography. I was doing web surfing and incidentally found your website. I really thank you for your website which provides useful contents for my interests.

However, I have found some minor different information in your website from other sources. In the map of your website, the name of the sea between Korea and Japan is described as "Sea of Japan". It seems unreasonable to use the name "Sea of Japan" which is decided in the period of imperialism because its original name is "East Sea" which has been used throughout history. Therefore, I believe that the body of water between Korea and Japan should be described as the “East Sea” or at least with the simultaneous use of both names; “East Sea/Sea of Japan.The name Donghae, literally East Sea, has been used in Korea for over 2,000 years, including in History of the Three Kingdoms (1145), the monument of King Gwanggaeto, and "Map of Eight Provinces of Korea" (1530). The first documented map to name the area the Sea of Japan was the world map drawn by the Italian missionary Matteo Ricci in China (1602) named Kunyu Wanguo Quantu. No Japanese record published up to the late-18th century indicated any name for the body of water. Furthermore, South Korea has pointed out that a few 19th-century Japanese maps referred to the sea as Chōsenkai, literally Sea of Joseon, including the "Simplified Map of Japan's Periphery" (1809) and "New World Map" (1844). South Korea argues there was no standard name prior to Japan's military expansion in the region in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Additionally, it specifically states that the name Sea of Japan was not widely used, even in Japan, as late as the mid 19th century. Thus, South Korea argues that the current name reflects active promotion by Japan during a time when Korea could not represent its interests internationally.

South Korea argues that historically the more common name was East Sea, Sea of Korea, or another similar variant. South Korea further argues that the name Sea of Japan did not become common until Korea was under Japanese rule, at which time it had no ability to influence international affairs. Japan argues that the name Sea of Japan has been the most common international name since at least the beginning of the 19th century, long before its annexation of Korea.

I hope that errors in your website will be corrected. If you do not mind, could you let me know an e-mail address of the person in charge or another possible way to correction, please?

Thank you again for your help. I am looking forward hearing from you.