From: seo@capone.ccsm.uiuc.edu (Jong-Wook Seo)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.korean,soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Sea of East, Korea, Japan.
Date: 5 Nov 92 00:09:38 GMT
Article-I.D.: news.Bx7v42.711
Organization: Microelectronics Lab - Univ. of Illinios

In articla <XAVIER.92Nov4201358@kuee.kuee.kyoto-u.ac.jp>, 
xavier@kuee.kyoto-u.ac.jp (Yuji KOMATSU) writes :

>Hello. This is Yuji Komatsu in Kyoto Univ., Japan.

>In article <Bwzwo5.3uC@news.cso.uiuc.edu>
>seo@capone.ccsm.uiuc.edu (Jong-Wook Seo) writes:

 >|As Youngjun Choi mentioned, it used to be called 'East Sea' in Korea, 
and 
 >|'Sea of Korea' outside.
 >|As far as I remember, Japan changed the name to 'Sea of Japan' after 
the 
 >|war against Russia.
 >|(Actually, I am not sure exactly when they did.
 >|But, it is around that time.)

>I think the name "Sea of Japan" or "Japan Sea" was named by
>Westerners, perhaps Portuguese, in 16th Century, same as "South China
>Sea" or "East China Sea". In that era, Portugal traded with Japan much
>more than with Korea, so the name "Japan" must have been more familiar
>to them. I hear that the word "Japan Sea" was also used in Russian
>explorer's letter in about 1815.

>Before the era, Japanese mustn't have had a proper word for the whole
>part of the Sea. They only had some words for several small parts, for
>example, off Niigata, off Hakata, Genkai-Nada, and so on.

Let me tell you something.

Before the 19th century, it had been called 'Sea of Korea" in the world.
As you mentioned, you, the Japanese people, didn't have any proper name 
for it.
But, we had, and we have cared it much.
So, we have tried to bring the original name back to the sea.

However, whenever we ask international organizations to correct it, the 
Japanese government interrupts it.
They claimed that the sea used to be called 'Sea of Japan'.
We all of us know what the truth is.
I guess they, the Japanese governmental authorities, know it, too.
(I don't want to talk about the honesty of the Japanese government here.
I am not interest in that stuff any more.
It is really frustrating.)
Anyway, it has been a matter of proof, and it has been proved.

A map has been found lately showing what the truth is.
That is a map which was published by professor Antonio Jata in 1777 under 
the sponsorship of the Venetian Senate in Italy.
It is called "Complete Atlas of Asia".
It clearly describes the sea as 'MARE DI COREA (Sea of Korea)".
(All the English names above are my translation.
I mean, I don't know what the offical ones are.)
If you don't trust me, please ask Korean Naval Academy.
I think they have it.

The last thing I want to say is that we have to correct it not only 
because it is not right, but also we have to stop the mania, 
putting whatever name they want.
We have tried to correct it because we think it is not what the right way 
to put a name on something is supposed to be.


--
>Yuji "Xavier" Komatsu (xavier@kuee.kyoto-u.ac.jp)
>DC2, Matsunami Lab. (Energy Conversion Devices Lab.)
>Dept. of Electrical Engineering II, Kyoto Univ.
>TEL. +81-75-753-5341 FAX. +81-75-751-1576



Jong-Wook Seo


ps : Somehow I got error messages complaing about some difficulties
       while I am trying to post this..
      So, if you got more than one, please neglect the others.