[Pros and cons of the week] Either East Sea or Sea of Japan…?

North Korea’s repeated missile tests amid South Korea-Japan trade war have reignited the dispute over the naming of the body of water which is bordered by Korea and Japan.

Dispute between Korean and Japan over trade and past history has become more fierce. Source: Getty Image

Some of SBS Korean audiences have vehemently argued “SBS should not designate the sea as ‘Sea of Japan’ but as ‘East Sea’ only.

Some are of a view that both East Sea and Sea of Japan have to used together.

The sea is known as the Sea of Japan in Japan and the East Sea in South Korea.

There has been a naming dispute for decades and the use of either name, or both, can spark protests from nationals or expatriates from both countries.

According to SBS manual, neither Sea of Japan nor the East Sea can be used in designating it, as there are various ways around it.