[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] US Again Uses "Sea of Japan" Label

US-ROK-Japan Missile Defense Exercise Location Marked as Sea of Japan
Ministry of National Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Request US Side to Correct It

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Regarding the missile defense exercise conducted by South Korea, the United States, and Japan, the U.S. requested a correction after labeling the exercise location as the 'Sea of Japan'.

On the 23rd, Lee Seong-jun, Public Affairs Officer of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, responded to a question about the military's stance on the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command's use of 'Sea of Japan' by stating, "The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command labeled the exercise location as 'Sea of Japan' and has not yet changed it," adding, "South Korea has requested the U.S. to correct this."

The day before, South Korea, the U.S., and Japan conducted a missile defense exercise in the East Sea international waters about 180 km east of Dokdo, responding to North Korea's missile provocations, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The U.S. side labeled the exercise location as 'Sea of Japan.' Lee Seong-jun avoided giving a detailed answer when asked whether there had been prior discussions among the three countries regarding the naming of the exercise location, stating, "South Korea, the U.S., and Japan planned this exercise by coordinating the method, content, objectives, and participating forces to achieve the exercise goals, which was the main focus of the planning."

The timing of the missile defense exercise east of Dokdo coincided with Japan's so-called 'Takeshima Day' (竹島, the name Japan claims for Dokdo), which is controversial due to Japan's forced territorial claims.

Regarding this, Lee explained, "(The date) was chosen based on the importance and urgency of the matter, not considering any country's event."

Im Soo-seok, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also stated at a regular briefing that "We have clearly conveyed our position on the East Sea naming to the U.S. side on various occasions," and "We have also communicated this position to the Indo-Pacific Command." A Foreign Ministry official told reporters that similar cases occurred in 2021 and last year, and "We conveyed our position to the Indo-Pacific Command and requested corrective action."

The official added, "We have clearly communicated our position through diplomatic channels," and "If similar cases arise, we will continue to convey our position to the U.S. through various channels and strive to ensure corrections are made."

On October 6 last year, during a missile defense exercise conducted by South Korea, the U.S., and Japan in a similar maritime area, the Indo-Pacific Command initially labeled the location as 'Sea of Japan' but changed it to 'waters between Korea and Japan' after South Korea's correction request. However, the term 'Sea of Japan' still remains in related posts by the U.S. Department of Defense and others.

Japan reportedly forced the U.S. to correct the labeling of the 'East Sea' even for joint exercises between South Korea and the U.S. in which Japan did not participate. According to a report by the Japanese Asahi Shimbun, the U.S. military initially labeled the location of a joint maritime exercise between South Korea and the U.S. conducted on September 26 last year in South Korea's jurisdictional waters and international waters as 'East Sea,' but changed it to 'waters between Korea and Japan' after Japan's protest.