Rodong Sinmun Wednesday observes in a bylined commentary in this regard:

This is a sordid act of the U.S. to fish in troubled waters by persistently encouraging Japan in its moves to distort history and stage a comeback to Korea, the commentary says, and goes on:

The above-said marking was a direct product of the Japanese imperialists' policy of occupation of Korea and their moves for imperialist expansion. Its illegality admits of no argument as their occupation and colonial rule over Korea were of quite illegal and criminal nature.

To permit this practice is little short of encouraging the Japanese reactionaries in their efforts to realize the ambition for territorial expansion overseas.

The U.S. has an unavoidable obligation to properly settle the issue of marking the East Sea of Korea.

The U.S. insistence on marking the East Sea of Korea as "Japan Sea" cannot be construed otherwise than an act of helping Japan realize the Japanese imperialists' old dream of "Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere", a doctrine for expansionism.

If it was true that the U.S. agreed with Japan's action to change the name of the East Sea of Korea, the inviolable sea of Korea, into "Japan sea" in the last century, taken in by the cunning moves of the Japanese imperialists, it should pay due attention to setting right the wrong history in the sense of repenting of its wrong.

The U.S. is obliged to fulfill its responsibility and mission in restoring the original name of the East Sea of Korea, the name peculiar to the waters east of the Korean Peninsula, on the principle of impartiality.