South Korea suggests "Sea of Peace" with Japan

SEOUL, Jan 8 (Reuters) South Korea has proposed calling the body of water between it and Japan the ''Sea of Friendship'' so as to end a naming dispute, a presidential official said today.

South Korea hotly contests the widely used name Sea of Japan for the body of water, saying the proper name should be the East Sea. It has launched government-backed campaigns in order to sway world opinion, and many atlases use both names.

President Roh Moo-hyun also suggested calling the body of water the ''Sea of Peace'' during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in November, the presidential official said.

''It was not an official proposal and no further discussions have been held,'' the official said.

As president, Roh has often chastised Japan for failing to make what he sees as proper contrition for its harsh 1910-1945 rule over the Korean peninsula.

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