A map uploaded on the Voluntary Agency Network of Korea (VANK) website shows the body of water between Korea and Japan labeled as the East Sea. Captured from VANK
A new digital mapping standard adopted by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is drawing attention for what it means for Japan's long-standing push to call the body of water between the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese archipelago solely as the Sea of Japan, as the standard replaces geographical names with numerical identifiers, effectively removing the label altogether.
At the fourth session of the IHO Assembly held in Monaco from April 19-23, the S-130 digital dataset standard was finalized and formally adopted. The move follows a decision made at the second Assembly in 2020 to develop S-130 as an updated framework to replace the existing standard chart, Limits of Oceans and Seas, also known as S-23.
S-130 introduces a digital charting system that replaces names with numerical identifiers for maritime areas, marking a shift from a name-based framework to a number-based structure. Designed for use in electronic navigation and geographic information systems, the standard assigns each sea area a unique code based on the latitude and longitude of its central point.
The system is still in its early stages, with the IHO expected to refine the framework further before full-scale implementation, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the adoption reflects Korea's sustained diplomatic efforts to challenge the exclusive use of the name Sea of Japan, a dispute rooted in history.
When the IHO first adopted S-23 in 1929, Japan registered the sea under the name Sea of Japan, while Korea — then under Japanese colonial rule — was excluded from the decision-making process.
In response, the Korean government has sought to build international support for the concurrent use of East Sea and Sea of Japan since 1997.
Since then, discussions have continued under the principle that when parties fail to agree on geographical names, multiple names may be used concurrently. However, bilateral talks between Seoul and Tokyo have failed to produce a compromise, leaving the issue unresolved.
While the latest move does not introduce dual naming with East Sea, it is still seen as a meaningful shift as the name Sea of Japan itself will no longer be used under the new digital standard.
Source: Korea Times News
