To each and every government there is an opinion that is prevalent, this does not mean it’s right, but it is a belief that is held by many. The same is true for the naming of the seas between Korea and Japan.  On September 17, 2020, I happened upon your government site and saw this page, https://www.japan.go.jp/tomodachi/2019/spring2019/sea_of_japan.html , arguing the validity of the designation “Sea of Japan.” I am writing to you to disagree. I was deeply distressed to find that you have chosen to name designate the East Seas as only ‘Sea of Japan’ and consider it extremely inappropriate and frankly appalling, that Japan will not heed International law and be so ill informed to blatantly use such designation with complete lack of regard for the dispute between the Korea and Japan.

For more than 2,000 years, not just Koreans, but people throughout the world, viewed the body of water on the eastern boundary of Asia between Korea and Japan as the East Se  a. In order to resolve the controversy, in 2019, the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) reportedly urged Japan to negotiate with the Republic of Korea. The IHO was founded in 1921 to standardize the names of seas and oceans and support safe navigation of ships. The name the East Sea was on world maps, including old Japanese maps, until the publication of S-23 “the Limits of Oceans and Seas” by IHO in 1929.  During the time when the IHO was creating a list of the names of oceans and seas, Japan had occupied and imperialized Korea starting in 1910 and ending in 1945. Accordingly, Korea was unable to participate in the decision-making process.  As a result, only the name Sea of Japan was used in the publication, which fueled the spread of the name on world maps and in textbooks. This practice remained in the second (1937) and third edition (1953) of the publication of S-23 “the Limits of Oceans and Seas” because Korea was either under Japanese rule from 1910 to 1945 or engaged in a war from 1950-1953, the time of the publications. According to IHO and UNCSGN, in case of topographical feature shared with two or more countries, yet naming differently in their own languages, all the names in each language should be marked. Once Korea and Japan agree on a common designation that is in accord with the general rule of international cartography we will then follow the agreed-on designation. 

 Articulating the correct use of the names for the body of water between Korea and Japan is not simply a question of naming a geographic area but is part of a national effort by the Korean Republic to erase the legacy of Japanese Imperialism and to redress the unfairness that has been resulted from that period. The way African-Americans were enslaved, so was the Korean people. Therefore, I urge you to use 'East Sea' to describe the body of water in question or to use both Korean and Japanese designation simultaneously (e.g. 'East Sea/Sea of Japan') in your contents and maps. 

I feel that the Japanese Government, should be sensitive to the situation and acknowledge the pressures. As the world is ravaged by not only by Covid-19, but racial injustice and discrimination the least that could be done is to abide by international law. I ask that you contact me with changes and look forward to visiting your site with the implemented change. You can email me at ashleylsylee@gmail.com with your response, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. And I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,  

Ashley Lee