Sea of Japan is not the true name

[sanghyun1990]

The correct name of Sea of Japan is East Sea. This seas mostly belong to Korea, the island Dokdou around East Sea most people think it belongs to Japan. Yet Korean lived there before Japaense there, so whose sea is that.

[ChainLegacy]

So, it has two names, dubbed by two different peoples. Who cares who was there first, does it really matter?

[sanghyun1990]

Originally Posted by ChainLegacy

So, it has two names, dubbed by two different peoples. Who cares who was there first, does it really matter?

It does matter because most people think it belongs to Japan, when it does not.

[ChainLegacy]

Most people think an ocean belongs to Japan? Since when were oceans property?

[Catgirls]

A little bit of information about this dispute. From Wikipedia:

There is a long-running dispute over the name of the sea bordered by Russia, Japan, South Korea, and North Korea. The Koreas and Japan disagree over the sea's international name.

The Japanese government insists that it be called "Sea of Japan", which it claims has been the international de facto standard since the 19th century, and is currently the most widely used name.

The Koreas challenge this name, contending that it is a symbol of Japan's imperialistic past. The South Korean government wants the name "East Sea" to be used, claiming that the sea was known as "Sea of Korea/Corea/Chosen" or "East/Oriental Sea" until Japan's militant expansionism. Since the 1990s, South Korea has increased its efforts to change the sea's official international name. The North Korean government supports South Korea's position, but uses "East Sea of Korea" in its English publications.

The United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names (UNCSGN) and the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) have so far neither accepted nor denied Korea's claims, but left the issue open to discussion while continuing to use "Sea of Japan".

The dispute does not extend to each other's local language names. South Koreans generally do not object to Japanese maps calling the sea 日本海 (which translates as Japan Sea), and Japanese do not object to Korean maps calling it 동해 (which translates as East Sea).

(read more...)

If you follow the link above, you'll find this extensive index that flushes out the topic:

* 1 Historical developments of the dispute
* 2 Response by media and publishers
* 3 Arguments
---- o 3.1 Geographical reasons
---- o 3.2 Historical reasons
----- + 3.2.1 Historical maps and studies
---- o 3.3 Ownership
---- o 3.4 Ambiguity
---- o 3.5 Precedence
* 4 See also
* 5 External links

Just thought I'd add a little bit of info. to the original topic.

[Jinto]

sensation de déjà-vu

wikipedia entry regarding the east sea

@sanghyun1990,

I see people with immense national pride. Not that this is bad, but it usually leads to a little bit of over-reaction in discussions.
This topic is worth a discussion, but I think it will end in a blame game.
Anyway, I'ld say east sea is the best possible name for it, so no east asian's nation pride might be piqued.

edit: too slow with the wikipedia entry

[Kiva128]

Why don't they just call it Sea of Japea and call it a day?

[sanghyun1990]

Originally Posted by Kiva128

Why don't they just call it Sea of Japea and call it a day?

When that happens I will get angry. That sea does not belong to Japan.

[Kiva128]

Originally Posted by sanghyun1990

When that happens I will get angry. That sea does not belong to Japan.

This is just a stab in the dark but...you're korean aren't you?

[Kamui4356]

Originally Posted by sanghyun1990

When that happens I will get angry. That sea does not belong to Japan.

Calling it the Sea of Japan in no way implies it belongs to Japan. Once you get out a certain distance, it's international waters. It's just the internationally accepted name for that particular body of water.

This seems to be making an issue where none exists... It seems to me what you really want to discuss is the status of a certain group of islands.

[hooliganj]

Originally Posted by sanghyun1990

When that happens I will get angry. That sea does not belong to Japan.

Nor does the South China Sea belong to China, or the Baltic Sea to the Baltic States. It's just a name. To take such issue with it is to obsess over semantics when there are real issues that the diplomats could be working on.

[Kaminix]

The Sea of Japan is the name of the ocean where you find Japan. Korea is not an Island, and not all of Euroasia is located in the Sea of Japan, therefor "Sea of Japan" is a good name.

[sanghyun1990]

Originally Posted by Kiva128

This is just a stab in the dark but...you're korean aren't you?

Yup

Originally Posted by Kaminix

The Sea of Japan is the name of the ocean where you find Japan. Korea is not an Island, and not all of Euroasia is located in the Sea of Japan, therefor "Sea of Japan" is a good name.

Not really, East Sea is better, because it is a sea that is in East Asia.

[Kaminix]

Originally Posted by sanghyun1990

Not really, East Sea is better, because it is a sea that is in East Asia.

I don't think naming a sea after a cardinal direction is a very good idea anywhere (exept perhaps the water surrounding the poles), since "East" is a way to specify somethings or someones direction relative to something/someone else's position. The name "East Sea" doesn't contain a second object which it can relate to. Why would people in Japan for example call a sea on their western border for "East Sea"?

[Lambda]

"Sea of Japan" seems like a good name to me, since it's the existence of Japan which pretty much defines it, making that piece of water into a sea, as opposed to a corner of an ocean.

[Kaminix]

Originally Posted by Lambda

"Sea of Japan" seems like a good name to me, since it's the existence of Japan which pretty much defines it, making that piece of water into a sea, as opposed to a corner of an ocean.

If the japanese government would've said that to the Korean government the dispute would've been over. Damn, why didn't I think of that?

\o/ <(You rock!)

[deathbygirl]

I'm trying hard not to laugh when I actually see people taking this very seriously. I take the same position as hooliganj on this topic. It's a body of water, it just happens to be there, what difference does it make whether it's named one thing or another?

Indian Ocean. Dispute and discuss that as well, since it's the same premise.

[HoboGod]

This again, eh? All of the world's occupation and territory has been claimed by some form of imperialism. If you're so bent on names that represent imperialistism, then lets stop using names for countries and cities too! Lets just number territory by it's longitude and lattitude possition! Korea is now called 37N 126E.

Would that make you hippies happy? Or is it not about the name? Is it just your latent hatred of Japan? The world doesn't give a shit what that sea is called. We aren't going to bust down your doors for calling it something else than we say. But you should expect we bust down our own doors to call it something else than you say.

[Shii]

Originally Posted by sanghyun1990

When that happens I will get angry. That sea does not belong to Japan.

Yes it does. Japan can have any sea it wants. In fact, how about we rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of Japan?

[ChainLegacy]

Originally Posted by ashibaka

Yes it does. Japan can have any sea it wants. In fact, how about we rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of Japan?

The Atlantic belongs to me! I was here first.

Okay, but, seriously, it doesn't matter who the ocean belongs to in the long run. People will call it by different names, so what if many recognize it by 'Sea of Japan', if you want to call it East Sea why don't you? Does it matter?