The Japanese government avoided giving a direct response on July 16 to a recommendation from an international organization stating that exhibits at the Sado Mine fail to adequately reflect the history of forced labor of Koreans, offering only a principled stance instead.

When asked at a press conference about how the Japanese government plans to respond to the criticism that the historical exhibits at the Sado Mine are insufficient, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, the Japanese government spokesperson, sidestepped the question, stating, "As a government, we have taken the resolutions made at the time of registration seriously and have responded in good faith."

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee stated in a draft decision circulated to member states the previous day that it had reached this recommendation after evaluating the State of Conservation (SOC) report for the Sado Mine submitted by Japan.

The draft decision assessed that while there has been "some progress" by Japan in implementing the World Heritage Committee's recommendation to establish an interpretation and exhibition strategy that reflects the "full history" of the Sado Mine, it is not sufficient.

It further recommended that Japan "continue to work closely with the concerned parties to comprehensively address the full history of the mine on-site throughout all periods of its development, and to improve the interpretation and exhibition strategies and facilities on-site."

Kihara mentioned the part of the draft decision that acknowledged "some progress," saying, "I understand that there was a certain level of positive evaluation regarding the progress of the matters recommended at the time of World Heritage registration, including explanations and exhibitions on the full history, and that the future direction was also mentioned."

However, he did not comment on the content of the draft decision calling for improvements.

"I believe we need to watch the deliberations at the World Heritage Committee for now," he said, adding, "In any case, as a government, we have taken the resolutions at the time of registration seriously and have responded in good faith."

He added, "We intend to continue responding appropriately, including providing detailed explanations of Japan's position."

This draft decision is scheduled to be discussed as an agenda item at the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, which will be held in Busan from July 20 to 23, and is expected to be adopted by consensus if there are no objections from member states.

While such decisions are binding, it remains uncertain how much Japan will comply with the recommendations, as there are no clear disadvantages for failing to do so.

Japanese media also did not offer any particular assessment of the draft decision released the previous day.

The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the resolution released the previous day would be discussed at the World Heritage Committee in Busan, and predicted that even if it is adopted by consensus there, it "does not appear to have a major impact on the World Heritage registration" of the Sado Mine.

It also noted regarding the Sado Mine that "the South Korean side has continuously demanded that the history of (people from the Korean Peninsula) being forced into labor be clarified," and added that "the intentions of South Korea, the chair country (of the meeting), may have been reflected in this resolution."

The Sado Mine was famous as a gold mine during the Edo period (1603–1867) and was mainly used as a mine to secure war supplies after the Pacific War intensified.

At that time, Koreans from the colony were forcibly mobilized and worked under harsh conditions while facing discrimination.

The Sado Mine was inscribed on the World Heritage list at the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee held in New Delhi, India, in July 2024.

Ahead of the registration, the South Korean government demanded that Japan reflect the "full history" of the Sado Mine, including the forced labor of Koreans, and Japan accepted this.

However, criticism has since been raised that the fact of forced labor has not been sufficiently represented.