A group of Korean-Americans living in the U.S. is pushing for the joint publication of two names for the body of water lying between the Korean peninsula and Japan.

The group, called the Voice of Korean Americans (VoKA), said it had received positive feedback from education committees in the states of Virginia and Maryland after it persuaded them to publish both “East Sea” and “Sea of Japan” in school textbooks. The group said it would expand its efforts nationwide.

The VoKA said it would join forces with other Korean-American groups in the remaining 48 U.S. states in raising awareness and lobbying the issue to related authorities after the law regarding the names is passed through state legislature in Virginia and Maryland. The group said it aims to have both names published in all U.S. school textbooks by 2017.