Japan stifles Korea's push for int'l adoption of 'East Sea'

The Korean government's bid to get the International Hydrographic Organization to use the name "East Sea" in "Limits of Oceans and Seas" a publication published by the organization, is facing obstacles due to Japan's objection.

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The organization's general assembly, which runs in Monaco for five days from Monday, discussed the concurrent marking of "Sea of Japan" and East Sea as an agenda item for the first day of sessions, but failed to draw a conclusion due to a wide gap in views by Korea and Japan. Discussion on the matter will resume at the conference Wednesday morning.

The Korean delegation in the assembly said, "The fourth edition of the publication set for revision this time should have the marking of 'East Sea (concurrently with the Sea of Japan)'," and presented its case for the claim item by item.

The Japanese side countered by saying, "The sole marking of the title Sea of Japan is a practice that has been already established internationally".

Other member states of the organization suggested more consultations between the Korean and Japanese sides, and Alexandros Maratos, president of the Directing Committee of the IHO, scheduled additional discussions on the issue Wednesday.

If the two sides fail to compromise Wednesday, the organization will not publish the publication again this time and could delay a decision on the matter to the next general assembly in 2017.

A source at the South Korean Foreign Ministry said, "At present, the two sides haven't even agreed to put the matter to a vote, and a vote to decide the issue will likely prove difficult".

On the suggestion of concurrent marking of East Sea and Sea of Japan, Korea's Yonhap News Agency quoted a U.S. State Department source as saying, "Using a single name for all different public seas has long been U.S. policy", adding, "The U.S. government uses a name chosen by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, and the standard title for waters in question is the Sea of Japan".

"We understand Korea is using another name", he said. "I hope that Korea and Japan come up with a measure that they can mutually agree upon.