Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Smee]

From The Marmot's Hole:

Korea�s, ahem, well-known cyber-diplomacy group Volunteer Agency Network of Korea (VANK) is concerned that the U.S. media, including the New York Times, are �mistakenly� marking the body water between the Korean Peninsula and Japan as the �Sea of Japan� rather than �East Sea.� And the Kyunghyang Shinmun shares their concerns:

[Hater Depot]

Considering the insistence that "Korea is one", I think they should start a campaign against the mistaken labeling of "South" and "North" Korea.

[mindmetoo]

The current convention seems to be, where there is a name dispute, to use both names, ie Sea of Japan/East Sea.

[gang ah jee]

The real East Sea.

[Hollywoodaction]

gang ha jee, any rules against naming two bodies of water by the same name?

Oh, and what about Korea Bay?


Click

[Demophobe]

Google War:

Sea of Japan: 69,200,000 hits.

East Sea: 95,200,000 hits.

A letter from VANK:

[gang ah jee]

[Ryst Helmut]

Sadly, was watching CNN and when putting a map up of East Asia the body of water we are discussing was labelled Sea of Japan with "East Sea" in italics....

CNN!?



!shoosh,

Ryst

[Guri Guy]

More utter crap from VANK. Check out their website for more crap.

The Historical precedent for the "East Sea"
In most world maps and atlases used internationally today, Korea's "East Sea" is indicated as the "Sea of Japan," and therefore an immediate correction is warranted. To this end, it is necessary to review the historical background of the term "East Sea" and how Korea's East Sea has been recognized by neighboring countries and other western countries in the past. Also, to prepare a strategy to change the name "Sea of Japan" back to "East Sea'" it is necessary to review the process of how the "East Sea" was unjustifiably turned into the "Sea of Japan" in the 20th century.

However, all maps published in Japan thereafter refer to the East Sea as the "Sea of Japan." From this, it can be inferred that the Japanese government directed, as a matter of policy, that the name "Sea of Japan" be used. Especially, geographical references and names were changed in Matsuda Rokuzan's 1854 map and his "Bankokuzenzu" of 1871. Hasimoto Chyozuki's 1871 "Sinseiyochizenzu" calls the East Sea the "Sea of Japan." From this, we can assume that changes were being made at about this time, because the term "East Sea" was not found in any of the Japanese maps published after 1871. Also, at about this time, references to the "Sea of Japan" began appearing in Chinese maps as well.

In the early 20th century while Korea was under the colonial rule of Japan, the name East Sea was eradicated from the maps of world. The eradication of references to the East Sea started when a resolution was adopted at the first Conference of the International Hydrographic Organization t establish the limits of oceans and seas and attach appropriate local names for safe navigation. A Japanese delegation attended this conference, but there was no Korean delegation. According to the resolution, the East Sea was registered by Japan as the "Sea of Japan" in 1923. No other member country raised any objection. Consequently, the 1929 Monaco Conference adopted a resolution to publish Special Publication No.23 entitled The Limits of Oceans and Seas, which was based on data collected previously, and to make this publication an internationally accepted document. Thereafter, the mapmakers of the world used the standardized names of places based on this publication and the name "East Sea" lost its place on world maps. New editions of The Limits of Oceans and Seas were published in 1937, 1952, and 1986 and to date, the East Sea remains as the "Sea of Japan."

http://www.prkorea.com/estart.html

From what I read from W ANK (oops I mean VANK) they seem to equate Sea of Japan with Japanese colonialism. More bass ackward thinking from some Koreans that can't get over the fact that some foreign power had the audacity to annex their country for 35 years.

[cj1976]

Out of interest, why did Korea choose to call it the East Sea? Is it because it lies east of Korea or because it is in the Far East?
If it is due to the former, Japan should rename it the West Sea just to see if this would confuse matters even more.

[gang ah jee]

[cj1976]

There is a similar issue concerning the body of water between England and France. The English call it the The English Channel and the French call it Le Channel. Mind you, they don't really make that much of a fuss in comparison to Korea. Probably because they realise it doesn't really matter all that much.

[ajgeddes]

I think VANK should also start a campaign to rename the oceans. They could call the Pacific the 'East Ocean", the Indian the 'South-West Ocean", and the Atlantic Ocean the 'Really Far East Ocean' or the 'Really Far West Ocean. And of course the Arctic, the 'North Ocean'. Then we could all have a good time while bravo-ing everybody's lives.

[gang ah jee]

[Hollywoodaction]