ID :
200373
Wed, 08/10/2011 - 12:31
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/200373
The shortlink copeid
Make all out efforts to defend the name 'East Sea'
SEOUL, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- It's very regretable that the U.S. government has formally confirmed its decision to refer to the body of water between Korea and Japan only as the "Sea of Japan."
The U.S. has informed the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) of its decision.
The U.S. policy dealt a blow to the efforts of South Korea and its people who have been campaigning for the international community to recognize it as the "East Sea" or use both names together.
"The U.S. uses names decided by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) and the so-called BGN standard name for that body of water is the Sea of Japan," U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said at a press briefing.
The South Korean government filed a formal complaint with the U.S. on the issue, while major Korean Internet portals were flooded with messages denouncing the U.S. decision.
It is not enough for the South Korean government to lodge a protest. Japan will try hard to get its preferred name, the "Sea of japan," to be recognized by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) at its general meeting in April 2012.
The South Korean government should make all-out diplomatic efforts to block the Japanese move. Japan successfully maneuvered to name the body of water the "Sea of Japan" in 1929 while it was occupying the Korean Peninsula as a colony. Korea at that time was unable to make its voice heard as an independent nation.
The body of water in question was called in Korea the "East Sea," or the "Sea of Korea" for a long time until 1905. Nonetheless, the IHO which was founded in 1927 adopted the Japanese name in 1929.
Experts say it is absurd to name a sea surrounded by four countries after only one of them. If there is such a need, it is common to name the sea after the land on the left side of it. So the sea in question should be the "Sea of Korea," a name that actually began to be used as early as the 18th century.
There is also a view that the U.S. position violates international law. The United Nations decided in 1977 that the name of a disputed sea should be denoted in both names, according to Prof. Lee Jang-hie of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
The government should clearly tell related countries and international organizations that territorial names made by imperialists during the colonial era should be corrected through a mutual agreement between neighboring nations to maintain world peace, a ruling Grand National Party lawmaker cried.
We urge the government to make all-out efforts to block the Japan's move to have the IHO recognize the Japanese name for the body of water.
The U.S. has informed the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) of its decision.
The U.S. policy dealt a blow to the efforts of South Korea and its people who have been campaigning for the international community to recognize it as the "East Sea" or use both names together.
"The U.S. uses names decided by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) and the so-called BGN standard name for that body of water is the Sea of Japan," U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said at a press briefing.
The South Korean government filed a formal complaint with the U.S. on the issue, while major Korean Internet portals were flooded with messages denouncing the U.S. decision.
It is not enough for the South Korean government to lodge a protest. Japan will try hard to get its preferred name, the "Sea of japan," to be recognized by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) at its general meeting in April 2012.
The South Korean government should make all-out diplomatic efforts to block the Japanese move. Japan successfully maneuvered to name the body of water the "Sea of Japan" in 1929 while it was occupying the Korean Peninsula as a colony. Korea at that time was unable to make its voice heard as an independent nation.
The body of water in question was called in Korea the "East Sea," or the "Sea of Korea" for a long time until 1905. Nonetheless, the IHO which was founded in 1927 adopted the Japanese name in 1929.
Experts say it is absurd to name a sea surrounded by four countries after only one of them. If there is such a need, it is common to name the sea after the land on the left side of it. So the sea in question should be the "Sea of Korea," a name that actually began to be used as early as the 18th century.
There is also a view that the U.S. position violates international law. The United Nations decided in 1977 that the name of a disputed sea should be denoted in both names, according to Prof. Lee Jang-hie of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
The government should clearly tell related countries and international organizations that territorial names made by imperialists during the colonial era should be corrected through a mutual agreement between neighboring nations to maintain world peace, a ruling Grand National Party lawmaker cried.
We urge the government to make all-out efforts to block the Japan's move to have the IHO recognize the Japanese name for the body of water.
