The International Hydrographic Organization(IHO) has reportedly urged Tokyo to hold discussions with Seoul over the controversy surrounding the names of the body of water between the two countries. 

Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun said on Friday that Japan has been passive about holding talks, but the IHO is pushing hard for it to happen, following South Korea’s call for a revision to related IHO guidelines. 

Seoul claims the body of water should be called the “East Sea” as Koreans have called it since ancient times, but has also indicated its willingness to use the name together with the term “Sea of Japan” until the two countries reach a compromise on the issue. 

Tokyo has refuted Seoul's claim, arguing "Sea of Japan" has been solely used internationally since the 19th century 

The IHO used the term “Japan Sea” when it published its first edition of “Limits of Oceans and Seas” in 1929 when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule, leading to the common use of the term globally.