Seoul's defense ministry said Monday it will formally ask the U.S. government to change the naming of the body of water between Korea and Japan from the "Sea of Japan" to the "East Sea" in displays at the Pentagon's Korean War exhibit.

The Pentagon exhibit opened in mid-June to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the signing of an armistice agreement and bilateral alliance forged between the U.S. and South Korea at the end of the three-year Korean War.

Among materials related to the Korean War, 10 exhibits, including six large maps, label the body of water as the "Sea of Japan," not the preferred Korean name of the "East Sea," according to local daily Chosun Ilbo.

"The defense ministry plans to officially ask the U.S. government to change the naming to East Sea," spokesman Kim Min-seok said in a briefing. 

Gen. Jung Seung-jo, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, took issue with the name during his visit to the exhibit with other senior Korean officials, and U.S. officials said they will consider the matter, Kim said.

For decades, South Korea has locked horns with Japan over the name of the body of water, with Seoul calling it the East Sea while Tokyo uses the name the Sea of Japan.

Diplomats and activists have long sought to persuade international bodies to use both names because the "Sea of Japan" harkens back to Japan's colonial history, but the U.S. officially still uses only the old name.

The display, which honors Korean War veterans and helps educate the public about the "Forgotten War," has become a part of the Pentagon tour that is seen by over 250,000 individuals each year. (Yonhap News)