South Korea has repeatedly delivered its position to the U.S. that the Korean name “East Sea” and the Japanese name “Sea of Japan” must be marked together on maps.

Senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs and national security Chun Young-woo recently met with National Security Advisor Tom Donilon and Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns on his trip to the U.S.

Chun explained to them the meaning and importance to South Korea-Japan relations of the body of water between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. He also detailed the potential risks that are involved with this issue.

However, Donilon is known to have responded that the U.S. has for a long time been using the name “Sea of Japan.” And a high-ranking South Korean government official said that the U.S. did not say it would change its current position during the meeting.

The U.S. recently submitted to the International Hydrographic Organization its decision to recognize the body of water as the “Sea of Japan” in the organizations publication “Limits of Oceans and Seas.”

The U.S. later proposed that the term “East Sea” be included in a supplement to the publication in a bid to explain that the waters between South Korea and Japan are also known as the “East Sea.”