South Korea Demands Sea of Japan Name Be Changed

Above, a view of the Sea of Japan from Niigata. Or is it the East Sea? Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It must be the silly season in Asia.

First, China, Japan and Taiwan (did I leave anyone else out?) are squabbling over a chain of islands. Now, South Korea wants name of the body of water internationally known as the Sea of Japan, that separates South Korea and Japan, changed. Huh?

According to the Jiji Press:

Washington, Jan. 22 (Jiji Press)--The United States continues to refer the body of water between Japan and South Korea as the Sea of Japan, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said Wednesday. 

"The U.S. Government uses names decided by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, a well-named board. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names' standard name for that body of water is the Sea of Japan," she told a news conference. 

South Korea demands that the name be changed to the East Sea.

This came about when the Virginia Senate's Education and Health Committee passed legislation that requires all public school textbooks in Virginia to identify the waters as the Sea of Japan and East Sea. The article states that many Korean Americans live in Virginia.

I suspect that the Virginia state senate is controlled by liberals and that they are behind this. Gee, we can't offend anybody, despite the fact that the name, Sea of Japan, has been around for ages, can we? Political correctness again.

To read the full article, go here.