Choppy Waters – Korea Disputes “Sea of Japan” Name

There is an article in the Korea Times today that discusses the ongoing dispute between Korea and Japan regarding the naming of the body of water located on the east side of the Korean Peninsula, where the Dokdo Islets are situated. The article may be of interest to antique map collectors on a number of different levels as it provides an example of where cartographic symbolization can influence or, be influenced by, political disputes and dominance.

The article entitled, “Will Sun Dawn on Name ‘Sea of Korea’?” provides a brief overview of maps protraying the area since the 16th Century. The body of water in question has been referred to as everything from the “Oriental Sea” (Italian Benedetto Bordone (1460-1531) used “Mare Orientale” in his 1528 map,) to the “Mer de Coree” as documented in several maps, including one by Frenchman Jacques-Nicolas Bellin (1703-1772). The Korean association seemed to dominate in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, but that ended when the term “Sea of Japan” was adopted by British cartographer Thomas Jeffreys (1710-1771) and French explorer and naval officer Jean-Francois de La Perouse (1741-1788); the term became prevalent by the late 19^th century. The article notes that some scholars also attribute this change to Korea’s closed-door policies during this period.

The general usage of “Sea of Japan”:

…was cemented in the early 20^th century. Korea could not attend the 1929 Monaco Conference of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) because it was by then under the Japanese colonial rule. The conference resulted in the publication of the first edition of the authoritative “Limits of Oceans and Seas,” which employed the term  “Sea of Japan.”

The Korean government attempted to get “East Sea” to be used along with “Sea of Japan” in recent meetings of IHO and the United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names (UNCSGN), but so far has failed. The UNCSGN conference, which is held every five years, is expected to be held in August in New York.

The article also notes that there is also some dispute amongst Koreans as to whether or not “Sea of Korea” might be a more appropriate name, rather than “East Sea”.

While “East Sea” claims are based on the vague term “Oriental” found in a few Western maps in 16^th century, “Sea of Korea” was a global name that appeared widely in old maps from Japan, the West and Korea, according to Lee Don-soo, an art historian and a director of the Sea of Korea Association.

[tags]Cartography, Antique Maps, Cartographic History, Sea of Korea, Sea of Japan, East Sea[/tags]