At the recent 10th UN meeting for standardization of naming in New York, Japan insisted that the East Sea of Korea is Japan Sea, citing the universal recognition.

The Korean nation was the first to name the sea off the east coast of Korea the East Sea of Korea and this has been widely used at home and abroad. This is true in the light of historical facts and international usage.

According to Korea's old book "The Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms", the sea began to be called the East Sea of Korea in B.C. 59. This is true even in view of international usage calling for naming places after continents.

Country name "Japan" came into being in the 7th century A.D., an indication that the sea off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula should be called Sea of Korea or East Sea of Korea.

The sea is also marked as Sea of Korea, not "Japan Sea" in old geographical documents and maps of several countries.

After the Meiji Restoration, Japan changed the East Sea of Korea into "Japan Sea" pursuant to its Korea policy for colonial occupation.

In 1929, Japan abused its status as a suzerain state and named the East Sea of Korea "Japan Sea", when applying it to the International Hydrographic Organization for registration.

The historical facts prove that Japan marked the disputed sea as "Japan Sea" timed to coincide with its aggression of Korea and forcibly put it into common use during its military occupation of Korea, and that the name is a product of its militarist policy for expansion.

"Japan Sea" is just a false name with neither validity nor authenticity.

The Japanese reactionaries are now insisting on absurd allegations over naming of places and dominium over islets with China, Russia and other neighboring countries, to say nothing of Korea, straining the regional situation politically and militarily.

Far from making apology and full reparation for crimes against humanity committed by the Japanese imperialists, the Japanese reactionaries have laid territorial claims to areas and waters of other countries. This is a clear reminder of their military ambition for expansion that has reached the extremes.

They, however, are seriously mistaken.

The DPRK is no longer a weak nation as it used to be in the past when it was deprived of its written and spoken languages and even surnames for its vulnerability.

The descendants of barbarians of the island country keen on paving the way for reinvasion will face stern punishment by the people of Korea and other regional countries.