Senator Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Flushing) and Assemblyman Edward C. Braunstein (D-Bayside) welcomed Korean community groups from all over Queens in Albany as a demonstration of support for S.6570/A.8742.

The simple one-sentence bills would require all new textbooks used in New York to refer to the body of water between the Japanese archipelago and the Asian mainland as both the Sea of Japan and the East Sea.

They are modeled closely after legislation that recently passed in the Virginia legislature and is expected to be signed by Governor Terry McAuliffe. Responding to the concerns of Korean-American citizens, the bill passed on February 6, mandated that all new textbooks use both terms for the body of water.

“These bills are intended to provide New York students with a more balanced and full picture of the history of East Asia,” said Senator Stavisky. “It is often said that history is written by the victors. In this case, the widely known name for a body of water is a constant reminder for Koreans worldwide of an era of oppression, occupation, and violence.”

The legislators were joined in Albany by several leaders in the Queens Korean Community, including Ki Chol Kim, Vice Chairman of America Assembly of the National Unification Advisory Council of the Republic of Korea, Sung Ki Min, President of the Korean American Association of Greater New York (KAAGNY), John Y. Park, President of the Korean American Community Empowerment Council (KACEC), and Dong Chan Kim, Executive Director of the Korean American Civic Empowerment (KACE).

Korean advocates worldwide have lobbied for the change for decades, charging that the name is unjust because it was widely established in a 1929 publication of the "Limits of the Oceans and the Seas" by the International Hydrographic Organization, released while Korea was under Japanese occupation. The Japanese government believes the name is valid because it is the standard term of reference used by nearly all foreign governments.

In response to concerns of Korean-American constituents and inspired by the passage of the Virginia bill, Senator Stavisky and Assemblyman Braunstein joined to introduce S6570 and A8742.

“Understanding the historical and political implications of this conflict and acknowledging the East Sea as well as the Sea of Japan is an important lesson for New York students as they learn to be conscientious global citizens,” concluded Senator Stavisky. “I represent over 175,000 Asian-Americans in the most diverse Senate district in the state and this bill is another step towards cultivating more mutual understanding and respect.”

“I am proud to join Senator Stavisky in introducing this important legislation,” said Assemblyman Braunstein. “New York State students should be taught that the Sea of Japan is not a universally accepted term and that there is legitimate international debate about whether the East Sea is a more appropriate name for that body of water. I would like to thank the Korean civic leaders who have joined with us to advance this issue and I look forward to working with them throughout the legislative session to see to it that this bill becomes law.”

"History serves not only as a reminder of the past but also as guidance for the future," said Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (D,WF-Fresh Meadows). "I want to applaud Senator Stavisky and Assemblyman Braunstein for sponsoring legislation that will provide a more balanced history and geography lesson. The peace of future generations can only be achieved when there is mutual respect of all sides. By calling it the East Sea and the Sea of Japan, we are taking a step forward in that direction."