This report provides findings of research conducted in December 2002 to determine the names used for the Korean East Sea on maps published prior to 1800 that are held by the U.S. Library of Congress, which is also called the LOC or Library in this report.




Two-thirds of the maps naming the sea between Korea and Japan used terms favorable to Korea's position that the sea has traditionally been called the Sea of Korea or East Sea, assuming Oriental Sea and East Sea are essentially synonymous. KCI reviewed 228 maps in December 2002. Slightly more than half of the maps (55 percent) did not name the sea. Of the 103 maps that did assign a name, two-thirds (66 percent) named it the Sea of Korea, East (or Oriental) Sea, or East Sea and/or Sea of Korea. Sea of Korea was used on 53 percent of the maps. East (Oriental) Sea was used on nine percent of the maps, and four percent of the maps used East Sea and/or Sea of Korea.