"Can Korean Media Do This?" Controversy Over Use of "Takeshima" Map in Reports on Japan Earthquake

Takeshima Marked on Maps Provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency
Professor Seo Kyungduk: "We Must Not Give Japan an Excuse"

Recently, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake occurred in Japan, and it has been reported that some domestic media outlets used a map with the name "Takeshima" (the Japanese name for Dokdo) when covering this news.

On June 1, Professor Seo Kyungduk of Sungshin Women's University pointed out via social media that "the earthquake-related maps provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency label Dokdo as Takeshima and the East Sea as the Sea of Japan, which is a serious problem." He added, "Although we have been consistently lodging protests for several years, the issue has not been corrected. Some domestic media outlets are directly citing maps from the Japan Meteorological Agency that label Dokdo as Japanese territory and the East Sea as the Sea of Japan."

Map on the Japan Meteorological Agency website showing the Sea of Japan and Takeshima [Image source=Captured from Professor Seo Kyungduk of Sungshin Women's University SNS]

He went on to say, "If Korean media use such maps, it only gives Japan an excuse, so caution is needed," urging that the maps be corrected using those from the Korea Meteorological Administration. He also stated, "Many foreign media outlets also report using maps provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency, and the use of maps labeling Dokdo as Japanese territory has been a recurring problem. We will continue to monitor the Japan Meteorological Agency and do our utmost to ensure this is changed."

In April, the Netflix variety show "Daehwanjang Gianjang" was praised for using the official name of Dokdo accurately in its overseas subtitles. In the English subtitles, Dokdo was written as "DOKDO," and in the Japanese subtitles, it was written as "Dokdo" (ドクト) using both kanji and the Japanese phonetic transcription. Professor Seo commented, "Until now, Netflix has been criticized for labeling the East Sea as the Sea of Japan, so this accurate labeling of Dokdo is a welcome development."

Previously, at around 5:37 p.m. on May 31, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the southeastern coast of Hokkaido, Japan. Local media reported that while there may be slight changes in sea level along the Japanese coast due to the earthquake, there is no concern for tsunami damage.