Gov't inspecting public institutions for accurate naming of Dokdo, East Sea on digital maps

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety is conducting a nationwide review of how public institutions label Dokdo and the East Sea on their websites and mobile applications.

The image labels the sea between Korea and Japan as both the “East Sea” and the “Sea of Japan.” [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety is conducting a nationwide review of how public institutions label Dokdo and the East Sea on their websites and mobile applications after some platforms were found using names such as “Liancourt Rocks” and “Sea of Japan.”

The ministry said Tuesday that it launched a full-scale inspection on Dec. 30, 2025, reviewing around 16,200 public websites and apps that offer map and location-based services. The audit covers central government agencies, local governments and affiliated public institutions.

The move follows multiple cases in which official digital platforms used foreign terminology for Dokdo and the East Sea. The naming of both places remains a sensitive issue in Korea, closely tied to territorial sovereignty and historical disputes with Japan.

Officials said the problem often stemmed from technical settings rather than deliberate choices.

Many institutions failed to specify the country code “KR” when integrating global mapping services, the ministry said. Without proper regional settings, international map platforms may default to widely used global labels.

Global mapping platforms adjust the names of disputed territories based on the user’s location setting. If the country or region is not properly defined in the source code, those platforms may default to internationally used labels.

The government has instructed all institutions to either switch to domestic mapping services, such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s “V-world” or the National Geographic Information Institute’s “Baro e-Map,” or to ensure that the country code “KR” is clearly set in the source code when using global maps like Google Maps. Institutions are also required to verify all labels.

Central ministries, local governments and education offices have been ordered to pass the inspection directive down to their affiliated agencies, public corporations and government-funded organizations. All findings must be submitted to the Interior Ministry by Wednesday.

“We will collect the inspection results and ensure that each upper-level agency takes responsibility for correcting any labeling errors quickly,” an interior ministry official said. “We aim to prevent confusion over territorial awareness by minimizing place name errors in the public sector.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY KO SUNG-PYO [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]