East Sea/Sea of Japan Geographic Naming Issue presented by Frances Coffey

Toponyms Toponyms or place names are the names given to a geographical location. Geographic naming is a process that reflects the historical, political, cultural, economic, and territorial attributes that are attached to a place. The controversy over the toponym, East Sea and Sea of Japan, is perhaps the most documented maritime naming disagreement to date.

Toponym controversies over public spaces in Virginia Fairfax County is home to J.E.B. Stuart, Robert E. Lee and W.T. Woodson high schools The Fairfax County School Board voted in October to change the name of J.E.B. Stuart High School to Justice High School Renaming of Jefferson Davis Highway in Alexandria In June Charlottesville City Councilors unanimously voted to rename Jackson Park to Justice Park and Lee Park to Emancipation Park.

World History 1 Standards

“East Sea” in Virginia Textbooks Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signed legislation that requires state-approved textbooks to include the Korean name for the sea between Japan and the Korean peninsula effective in 2014 Considered a nod to Korean Americans, who view the term “Sea of Japan” as a painful reminder of Japanese occupation of the country in the first half of the 20th century.

Virginia’s booming Asian population Virginia has the country’s 5th largest Korean-American population. More than 60% of Virginia’s Korean population lives in Fairfax County. Nearly two-thirds of Virginia’s booming Asian population lives in Northern Virginia, a surge largely caused by swells in the Korean and Indian populations over the last decade

The IHO International Hydrographic Organization: intergovernmental consultative organization that generates the official names and limits of the world’s seas and oceans First official list of marinyms was published in 1928, during which time Korea was under Japanese control As a subjugated nation, the Koreans could offer little opposition

U.S. State Department position “The State Department does not get involved in state and local government discussions on text books. The U.S. Government uses names decided by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names’ standard name for that body of water is the Sea of Japan. We understand that the Republic of Korea uses a different term. Per U.S. policy, we use only one name to refer to all high seas features. This is a long-standing U.S. policy that we apply all around the globe.” Former State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki

History 1st record of “East Sea” dates back to around 50 B.C. to a description of King Dongmyeong of the Goguryeo Kingdom “Sea of Japan” first appeared in 1602 in a map by the Italian Catholic missionary Matteo Ricci Even as late as 1870, even many Japanese maps referred to the body of water as “Sea of Joseon (Korea)” instead of Sea of Japan Sea of Japan came into wider use in the 20th century with the advent of Japanese imperialism and military expansion in Asia

History Korea was a Japanese colony from 1910-1945 The second half of the century began with a war that has still not officially ended The Republic of Korea joined the UN in 1991, and maps started to take center stage in the country’s attempt to re-establish itself as one of the power players of East Asia

President Theodore Roosevelt President Roosevelt wrote in 1905 that the Japanese “were a wonderful and civilized people entitled to stand on an absolute equality with all the other peoples of the civilized world.”

President Theodore Roosevelt When, in 1904, Japan broke off relations with Russia, Roosevelt said publicly that he would “maintain the strictest neutrality,” but privately he wrote, “The sympathies of the United States are entirely on Japan’s side.” In a secret presidential cable to Tokyo, in 1905, Roosevelt approved the Japanese annexation of Korea and agreed to an “understanding or alliance” among Japan, the United States and Britain “as if the United States were under treaty obligations.”

Korea’s position today Korea strongly supports concurrent use of both names Concurrent use of different names is evident in cases like the English Channel/La Manche, Dover Strait/Pas de Calais, and Bay of Biscay/Golfe de Gascogne

Questions for students How does geography and our sense of place shape our identity? How does geography serve as a point of local, state, national, and international conflict? What role should fairness and sensitivity play in resolving toponym disputes?