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Japan claims the purpose of its plan for a hydrographical survey near the Dokdo islets is related to codifying names of the seabed regions there. What leads to the claim?
Japan has already given the name ¡°Tsushima Basin¡± to the seabed south of Ulleung Island and Dokdo and registered it with the International Hydrographical Organization (IHO) in 1978, as an international sea map published by the IHO attests. Such nomenclature is found in 18 places.
The Korean government let the problem pass for 27 years. A Maritime Place Name Committee, established in 2002 under the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, gave the name ¡°Ulleung Basin¡± to an area almost identical with the Tsushima Basin, and last November named ¡°Yisabu Seamount¡± an area Japan calls ¡°Syun-Yo Bank.¡±
A ministry official says it will not be easy to change the two Japanese names to Korean names. It weakens the argument even further that the Korean government raised no objection over the last 27 years. ¡°The feeling now is that the vested interest has been acknowledged,¡± the official said.
The Korean government is understood to have been looking into a wide range of options. They include confronting Japan to get all 18 of the Korean place names recognized or seeking acknowledgement of the Korean names in all cases except the two that Japan first registered, the official said.
(englishnesw@chosun.com )
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