Respected members of the IHO,

We, the undersigned, hope that you will make the right decision on the marking of the East Sea based on objective data and evidence, preventing future issues like that of the East Sea.

We submit the following material.

1. East Sea, a Name with 2000 Years of History

Historically, the title, East Sea, was used by Koreans over 2000 years.
From the 16th to mid 19th century, Sea of Korea and Sea of Chosun were more widely used than Sea of Japan.

2. Ancient Maps of the West Mark the Region as East Sea

In maps made by the West from the 16th to early 19th century, various titles were used including Sea of Chosun, Sea of Korea, Eastern Sea, Sea of China and Sea of Japan.
In particular, it was found that the name, Sea of Korea, was most frequently used among the various names during this period.
The region of the East Sea appeared on the world map in the early 16th century when westerners who started their exploration of the East drew maps of the region.

3. Chosun Sea, a Name Used Even by the Japanese

Based on an examination of maps made in Japan, maps which were made by the mid 19th century were discovered to use the term Sea of Chosun.
Based on such evidence, Sea of Chosun and Sea of Korea was the established term of the East Sea region until the mid 19th century.

4. Japan's Claim Lacks Justification

Japan's claim that the title, Sea of Japan, was the established name of the region by westerners from the late 18th to early 19th century, does not coincide with facts gathered from objective research of the academic circle and experts such as examination of ancient maps of the West.
Please refer to the links below for more reference.

We sincerely hope you will choose the name "East Sea".
http://korea.net/kois/eng_il_read.asp?book_no=21
http://korea.net/kois/eng_il_read.asp?book_no=33
http://korea.net/News/Issues/issueDetailView.asp?board_no=13045