Apple uses Japan name for Dokdo in latest operating system

Apple has joined Google in calling Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo by the name Takeshima, which Japan uses to claim the islets.

The Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry on Thursday said Apple informed Seoul through its Korean subsidiary that it would use all three names of the islets –- Liancourt Rocks, Dokdo and Takeshima –- on the Apple mapping service on its operating system for mobile devices for users outside of Korea and Japan.

Apple users in Korea, however, will see only Dokdo and those in Japan will see just Takeshima. The policy applies to the final version of Apple’s iOS6 Gold Master, which is used on the iPhone, iPad and iPod.

The Korean government protested Apple`s decision and demanded a retraction. Google had also earlier notified Seoul that its mapping service would use Dokdo in Korea, Takeshima in Japan, and Liancourt Rocks in the rest of the world. Google also deleted the Korean address of Dokdo.

Apple has no clear policy on the naming of Dokdo but marked the islets as Takeshima and Liancourt Rocks on the test version of the iOS6. Faced with strong complaints from Korea, the American tech giant used just Dokdo on its iOS6 Gold Master version, except when its mapping service is accessed in Japan.

Apple, however, concluded that the final version of the iOS6 Gold Master would use both Dokdo and Takeshima when its mapping serviced accessed in countries other than Korea and Japan.

The moves by Apple and Google came despite Korea`s efforts to step up global lobbying to promote Dokdo as Korean territory, including the distribution of 350,000 materials on the islets. This has led certain experts to question Seoul`s methods.

A Korean official said, “Japan has recently showed an aggressive attitude toward the naming issue,” adding, “We need to respond more actively, too.”

lightee@donga.com