SEOUL (AFP) -- South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun proposed renaming the waters separating Korea and Japan as the "Sea of Peace" or "Sea of Friendship" in a bid to remove one irritant in ties, officials said Monday.

The offer was made informally at a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Vietnam in November.

It was disclosed by a local newspaper Monday and confirmed by presidential officials.

The Japanese side did not immediately respond and no follow-up talks have taken place since then, the officials added.

The name of the sea is one of several issues making waves between the two countries. Seoul calls it the "East Sea" and Tokyo the "Sea of Japan".

The two nations agreed on how to divide most of the sea into exclusive economic zones.

But they are still in dispute over Japan's claims to South Korean-controlled rocky islets called "Dokdo" in Korea and "Takeshima" in Japan.

Roh's offer was intended to improve relations, a presidential aide told AFP.

"President Roh stressed the need for South Korea and Japan to take a new turn in their way of thinking, and he, at a summit with Prime Minister Abe, informally suggested it as one of such examples," the aide said on condition of anonymity. "The proposal was not addressed as an official agenda item at the summit. Both sides have had no follow-up discussions since then."

Roh's surprise offer sparked criticism after it was disclosed.

"It is a reckless remark which can undermine the government's consistent stance that it is historically right to call the waters the East Sea," the main opposition Grand National Party said in a statement.

It denounced Roh's "irresponsible remark, ignoring the symbolic significance of the East Sea" and public opinion.

Japan colonized Korea from 1910 until its 1945 defeat in World War II. During this time the name "Sea of Japan" was widely adopted internationally.

Korea claims that the name "East Sea" goes back centuries.