Why do world maps feature the designation Sea of Japan more frequently than East Sea?
Based on Korea’s use of the designation “East Sea” for over two thousand years, and based on its current use by 50 million Koreans, the Korean government has actively sought to internationally establish “East Sea” as the proper designation. However, the reality remains that “Sea of Japan” is currently more widely used in world maps and official documents of various countries. Sea of Japan became widely used in the late 19th century when production of world maps (in their current form) began and when Japan was rising as a great power in Asia. Thus, the mapping of a sea area after Japan is closely connected to Japan’s international influence during this period. The key factor accelerating the international use of Sea of Japan was the International Hydrographic Organization’s (IHO) publication of “Limits of Oceans and Seas” in 1929. The “Limits of Oceans and Seas” established the boundaries and designations of seas all over the world, and included “Sea of Japan” as the sole designation of
