"Harsh Work, But High Pay"... Japan Eyes Another World Heritage Push Amid Forced Labor Erasure

[Anchor]

The Japanese government has published a promotional booklet for its UNESCO World Heritage sites, once again omitting the history of forced labor when introducing the Sado Mines. As Japan continues to turn a blind eye to its past, there are growing concerns that it may push for yet another site of forced mobilization to become a World Heritage site.

Correspondent Mun Junmo reports from Tokyo.

[Reporter]

This is a promotional booklet for Japan's UNESCO heritage sites that recently went on sale at bookstores in Japan.

Turning to the page on the Sado Mines, the content focuses almost entirely on its fame as a major gold mine during the Edo period, with no mention of the history of forced mobilization involving more than 1,000 Koreans.

A photo featuring models of mine workers includes the caption, "The work was harsh, but they received exceptionally high wages."

It even distorts the reality that the mobilized Koreans were not even paid properly.

In July of last year, UNESCO evaluated that explanations regarding the "entire history," including the forced labor of Koreans, were insufficient, yet the Japanese government has consistently played dumb.

[Kihara Minoru / Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary (immediately following the UNESCO evaluation): As for the Japanese government, we are sincerely responding by taking the resolution made at the time of the heritage inscription seriously.]

Even at a memorial ceremony hosted by Niigata Prefecture and others near the Sado Mines on the 12th, there was no mention of forced labor, prompting the South Korean side to boycott the event for the third consecutive year.

The booklet also introduces Hashima Island (Battleship Island), describing it solely as one of the world's leading undersea coal mines with no reference to forced labor.

Amidst all this, Japan is reportedly engaging in covert groundwork to register the Ashio Copper Mine in Tochigi Prefecture, where 2,416 Koreans were forcibly mobilized, as a World Heritage site.

It is a site where some 70 Koreans died due to diseases such as pneumonia and accidents like crush injuries, including 22 infants under the age of one.

[Kim Young-hwan / Director of External Cooperation, Center for Historical Truth and Justice: While people say that South Korea-Japan relations are good right now, the Japanese government's fundamental stance has actually not changed at all. Since historical evidence is overwhelming, we must demand that Japan properly record the history of forced mobilization.]

The Center for Historical Truth and Justice pointed out that China has erected a memorial monument near the Ashio Copper Mine and holds national memorial services, urging the South Korean government to take a proactive response.

(Photo courtesy of Yonhap News)
(Reported by Han Chul-min and Moon Hyun-jin | Video by Lee Seung-jin | Graphics by Seo Hyun-jung)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.