Will the term 'Sea of Japan' disappear from maps? International Hydrographic Organization to decide as early as tomorrow

A photo taken on December 12 last year showing the Argentine media Weekend changing the label "Sea of Japan" (left) to "Korea Strait." [Image source = Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), which sets the standards for naming seas worldwide, is expected to decide as early as the 16th whether to introduce a new notation to replace "Sea of Japan" in its standard nautical chart collection.

On the 15th, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced that at the 2nd IHO Assembly, held via video conference from the 16th to the 18th, a decision will be made on whether to produce and publish "S-130," a revised edition of the nautical chart collection "Limits of Oceans and Seas" (S-23), which currently uses the name "Sea of Japan."

First published in 1929, S-23 has long labeled the East Sea as the "Sea of Japan." Japan has consistently used this as the basis to assert that the Korean East Sea's name is "Sea of Japan."

In response, the South Korean government has requested the dual notation of "East Sea" since 1997, but it was not properly reflected until informal consultations with North Korea and Japan began around the 1st IHO Assembly in April 2017.

However, South Korea, North Korea, and Japan have not reached an agreement as of last year, and the IHO Secretary-General proposed a method of labeling seas with "unique identifiers" instead of place names.

This new standard incorporating that method is "S-130." Member countries are expected to decide on the adoption of "S-130" at this assembly.

According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and others, member countries' reactions to the adoption of "S-130" have been generally positive, making it likely that the proposal will pass. The decision is expected to begin around 9 a.m. Korean time on the 16th and be announced the following morning.

Meanwhile, the proportion of world maps labeling the East Sea was only about 2% in the early 2000s but is reported to have exceeded 40% in recent surveys.

Thanks to the government's efforts, major media outlets such as National Geographic in the United States, The Times in the United Kingdom, and Le Monde in France have been increasing the use of the East Sea notation. The government plans to continue persuading various governments and private map companies worldwide to adopt the East Sea notation, in addition to the IHO.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.