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 Sea. 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. 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.

Using 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.