Battleland

South Korean Seasickness

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Seoul has lost its bid to have the world’s mapmakers allow the Sea of Japan, the body of water between Japan and the Korean peninsula, also to be known as the East Sea. Japan is pleased, according to Stars and Stripes.

The International Hydrographic Organization met this week in Monaco and elected to keep Sea of Japan as the only recognized name for the body of water. South Koreans say the current name is an archaic reference to their role as a Japanese colony from 1910 to 1945, which still rankles.

The same problem exists on the other side of the world, where many of Iran’s neighbors prefer to call the Persian Gulf the Arabian Gulf (which can lead to confusion with the adjoining Arabian Sea). The U.S. Navy tells its personnel:

Arabian Gulf – use instead of Persian Gulf

…which may make sense if you’re trying to tick off Tehran. The problem in the instant case, however, is that both South Korea and Japan are vital U.S. allies.