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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally held at F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville, Tennessee, on the 10th (local time). / AFP, Yonhap

Following the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario, U.S. President Donald Trump proposed renaming the Atlantic and Pacific oceans on the 10th (local time).

Speaking at a Republican midterm election campaign rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, President Trump suggested that either the Atlantic or the Pacific could be renamed, jokingly floating the idea of naming one after himself, The Washington Post reported.

"We could call it something like the 'Trump Ocean' or the 'Ocean of the Americas,'" he said. "I think I should have an ocean before I leave office, and I need a massive river too."

President Trump previously triggered diplomatic friction with Mexico last year after renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America," which led to clashes with the Associated Press over its refusal to adopt the new name.

In August, he renamed Lake Ontario, located between New York State and Canada, to "Lake America"—a move enacted amid escalating trade disputes with Canada over tariffs.

Last month, President Trump also proposed changing the name of the state of New Mexico to "New America."

Realizing such a change requires the consent of the state government and state legislature. Regarding the proposed renaming, Trump recently stated that "it's up to the people of New Mexico."

In a video endorsing a Republican congressional candidate in New Mexico, he asserted, "I'm not going to force it, but a lot of people really love the idea."

Under executive authority, U.S. presidents possess the power to alter domestic geographic designations, including bodies of water. Online mapping providers have largely adopted the renamed designations introduced during Trump's tenure.

                                                                                                            Kim Hyun-min