S Korea to complain over use of 'Sea of Japan' in Olympic closing ceremony

Monday 25th August, 04:59 PM JST

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usaexpat at 11:59 PM JST - 29th August

I'm waiting for the follow up, what is China's response? My guess is China will not respond at all. If they do respond they can always claim they just looked at a map that wasn't printed in Korea since the rest of the world calls it the Sea of Japan.
OssanULTRA at 12:22 AM JST - 30th August

"I've heard East Sea for all my life. and I've never heard of Sea of Japan."

If you grew up in SKorea/NKorea I would expect that to be normal. If you gew up anywhere else, I wouldn't believe you.
drw1926 at 07:01 AM JST - 30th August

Wow, what a shocker, the Koreans are pissed off about something. Let's have 30 days of nationwide protests, sitting in front of the National Assembly and culiminating in people cutting their fingers to draw blood to demonstrate how "serious" they are about this issue.

Did they ever stop to think that maybe nobody cares what they think?
genjuro at 05:58 PM JST - 30th August

Ah, the inferiority complex of Koreans. Pathetic but amusing at the same time. They must be proud of the image they're projecting to the world, that of an immature, insecure nation and group of people. Oh well.
CavemanLawyer at 09:42 PM JST - 30th August

I offer a curveball solution.

Since the Yellow Sea is dependent upon the Korean Peninsula for its very existance, just as Japan is for the Sea of Japan and England for the English Channel, let's rename the Yellow Sea the Sea of Korea. This way both sides get to feel special and the location of the Yellow Sea will no longer vex kids in geography class. Zounds, even a racial slur will be obliterated from world maps. Hey, I am pretty smart for a caveman!

--Cirroc
OssanULTRA at 10:10 PM JST - 30th August

"let's rename the Yellow Sea the Sea of Korea. This way both sides get to feel special"

If you take a look at a map I think 2 things are pretty clear. One, Japan isn't going to care what the Yelloe Sea is going to be called. And two, China is going to laugh it's 1.3 billion rear ends off.
Thenewfront at 10:19 PM JST - 30th August

South Korea can do and say waht it likes, all the other countries in the region do. Look at all the gaffs Japanese lawmakers make.

OssanULTRA, don`t knoe why you waste your time bashing Korea and promoting beautifull Japan, is it your hobby?

South Korea like looking for sympathy. I can see whyconsidering their past, and now they are a divided nation.
OssanULTRA at 10:32 PM JST - 30th August

I have never advocated that Japan owns the Rocks. I have always advocated that the matter should be settled in a peaceful mature manner before the ICJ. How is that promoting Japan? If I were promoting Japan wouldn't I be claiming that Japan owns the rocks? Why do you flood the JT threads with the same repetitive lame excuses for why SKOrea can't act the way any modern civilized nation can? Surely you can see that's a waste of time. The entire world has seen how infantile Skorea is, and only their own behavior can change that. You are correct that SKorea can do and say what it likes, but just keep it to yourself. The water is called Sea of Japan and the Rocks are in dispute claimed by both Skorea and Japan. That is how the entire world sees it. If Skorea wants to believe otherwise that's fine, but no one else cares. Look at this article, do you honestly think China is going to care?
Thenewfront at 10:38 PM JST - 30th August

OssanULTRA- I have not been on these boards since it was callesd another name.

Why should i keep my opinions to myself, oh can`t people against your view, have freedom of speech?

The East Sea is a name Koreans would like to use. They are not insulting Japan or threatening, just stating btheir opinion.
CavemanLawyer at 01:09 AM JST - 31st August

If you take a look at a map I think 2 things are pretty clear. One, Japan isn't going to care what the Yelloe Sea is going to be called.

Yes. That is part of the point. Japan won't mind. But Korea will stop bugging Japan and the world about the East sea thing.

And two, China is going to laugh it's 1.3 billion rear ends off.

So everybody is happy! Thanks for supporting my idea!

--Cirroc
OssanULTRA at 01:09 AM JST - 31st August

I'm not refering to expression of opinion. Koreans can call the body of water East Sea or Korean Sea or whatever they want. But the rest of the world who has been calling this body of water Sea of Japan, not connoting ownership but providing a point of reference, for 400 years. It was named by the Portguese so this isn't a matter of dispute between SKOrea and Japan at all. What Skorea is doing is annoying the rest of the world by insisting that the world adopt the Korean name which makes absolutely no sense to any country other than Korea, and to bring this matter up in the Olympic closing is quite assinine. All SKorrea has done is to make itself look foolish before the world.
Thenewfront at 01:19 AM JST - 31st August

OssanULTRA; Whay are you worried hoe KOrea looks?

I am sure you agree Japans textbooks and claims to islands is their business, so isn`t what Korea calls the sea their business.

They didn`t complain to Japan, but to China, so it has nothing to do with Japan or its loyal band of ex pat supporters.
CavemanLawyer at 01:53 AM JST - 31st August

It was named by the Portguese

You know that and I know that, but Korea does not know that. They think that when Japan made Korea call it the Sea of Japan as they did in 1910, they did so for the rest of the world too. Or, the Koreans think Korea is the world, and that suprises me less than the first option.

so this isn't a matter of dispute between SKOrea and Japan at all.

Korea accuses Japan. Japan denies. That part of it is in dispute between the two countries. The rest is between Korea and the rest of the world, but Japan has more at stake than other single country besides Korea. They are heavily involved.

--Cirroc
OssanULTRA at 03:01 AM JST - 31st August

OssanULTRA; Whay are you worried hoe KOrea looks?

I am sure you agree Japans textbooks and claims to islands is their >business, so isn`t what Korea calls the sea their business.

Yes it is SKorea's business. But Skorea is trying to make it everybody elses's business, which presumably you and I can agree it is not.

They didn`t complain to Japan, but to China, so it has nothing to do >with Japan or its loyal band of ex pat supporters.

True the complaint is to China, who incidentally is another country that couldn't care less. At least not as much as about Koguryo having been Chinese. It doesn't take a "loyal band of expat supporters" to point out that there is nothing for the world to gain by changing a name that has been accepted for 400 years just to satisfy Skorea's inferiority complex.
nipponlove at 12:56 PM JST - 1st September

The bottom line is that Japan acts like a brat that annoys everyone else.