UNESCO panel urges Japan to better reflect forced Korean labor at Sado Mine

A Unesco committee urged Japan to better reflect the "whole history" of the Sado Island Gold Mines, saying the country should fully present all periods of the mine's history including the forced labor of Koreans during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule.

The decision was adopted by consensus without discussion at the 48th session of the Unesco World Heritage Committee held in Busan on Thursday, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The decision was made after assessing Japan's implementation of follow-up measures requested when the mines was inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage site in 2024.

The committee had recommended Japan incorporate the mine's "whole history" into an on-site interpretation and exhibition at the Aikawa Folk Museum and that "further clarification is needed" in a draft of the decision released on July 15. The concept of the site's "whole history" includes the forced mobilization and labor of Koreans at the mine during Japan's colonial rule.

"The interpretation and presentation strategy of the whole history has shown some progress but remains to be fully developed," the decision read.

Japan's follow-up measures — including an exhibition on Korean workers at the Aikawa Folk Museum — was included in a state of conservation report submitted in December last year. However, the exhibition and related materials only mentioned about "workers from the Korean Peninsula" and did not explicitly acknowledge the forced mobilization and labor.

The committee also recommended Japan improve its exhibition strategy and facilities through close consultation with relevant parties and regularly report its progress to the Unesco World Heritage Centre.

An estimated 1,500 to 2,000 Koreans were forcibly mobilized to work at the mines during Japan's colonial rule. Korea agreed to support the site's World Heritage inscription in 2024 on the condition that Japan explicitly acknowledge that history. However, exhibitions and reports subsequently prepared by Japan did not explicitly describe the forced mobilization.

Korea subsequently held two director general-level meetings with Japan and informed the Unesco Secretariat and World Heritage Committee members that the follow-up measures were insufficient. Observers say Thursday's decision reflects Korea's position that the coercive nature of Korean labor at the mine should be stated more clearly.

The Unesco committee also asked Japan to submit a new implementation report by Dec. 1 next year, and plans to review it at its 50th session in 2028. However, it remains uncertain whether Japan will take additional measures as there are no penalties for failing to comply with the committee's recommendations.

"Japan has seriously taken the commitments made at the time of inscription and responded sincerely to criticism that the site's historical exhibition was insufficient," Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said on July 16.

"There has been a certain degree of positive evaluation regarding the progress made on the recommendations issued at the time of the World Heritage inscription, including explanations and exhibitions covering the whole history. We intend to continue responding appropriately, including by providing detailed explanations of Japan's position."

BY SHIM SEOK-YONG [[email protected]]