"Harsh, But High Wages"... Japan Pushes for Another 'World Heritage' Listing

[Anchor]

The Japanese government has published a promotional booklet on its UNESCO World Heritage sites, once again omitting the history of forced labor in its introduction to 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 forced mobilization site to be designated as a World Heritage site.

This report is from correspondent Mun Junmo in Tokyo.

[Reporter]

This is a Japanese UNESCO heritage promotional booklet that recently went on sale at Japanese bookstores.

Opening the page on the Sado mines, most of the content focuses on how it was a famous gold mine during the Edo period, and no history can be found regarding the forced mobilization of over 1,000 Koreans.

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

This even distorts the fact that the drafted Koreans did not even receive proper pay.

Last July, Japan received an evaluation from UNESCO noting that explanations regarding its "entire history," including the forced labor of Koreans, were insufficient, yet the Japanese government has consistently maintained a stance of feigned ignorance.

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

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

Battleship Island (Hashima) was also introduced in this booklet, filled entirely with boasts about it being one of the world's leading undersea mines, with no mention of forced labor.

Amidst this, it is reported that Japan is conducting behind-the-scenes work to register the Ashio mine in Tochigi Prefecture—where 2,416 Koreans were forcibly mobilized—as a World Heritage site.

It is a site where around 70 Koreans died due to diseases such as pneumonia and accidents like crushing deaths, 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 basic stance of the Japanese government has actually not changed at all. Since historical evidence is overflowing, (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 mine and conducts national commemorations, urging the South Korean government to also take active measures.

(Video by: Han Chul-min, Moon Hyun-jin | Video Editing by: Lee Seung-jin | Design by: Seo Hyun-jung)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.