The mayor of Seoul has called on China to change the name it uses to refer to the South Korean capital and has suggested an alternative Chinese designation for the city.
Chinese refer to Seoul by its ancient name Hancheng but Mayor Lee Myung-bak said this term had largely fallen out of use.
'Over 100 years have passed since Seoul itself used the name Hancheng.
'The time has come for China also to accept the change. By doing so, the nation will be taking a step to further strengthen the diplomatic relationship that exists between itself and South Korea.'
Hancheng, meaning Han's castle or Han's city in Chinese, carries a connotation of the city belonging to the Han, the dominant ethnic group in China.
The Chinese designation for South Korea's capital has been an outstanding issue for Seoul since the two countries formed diplomatic ties in 1992.