Minister Cho Tae-yul of South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that he “takes full responsibility” regarding criticisms of a “diplomatic failure” related to the memorial service of the Sado Mine. This statement was made upon his return to Incheon International Airport after attending the second meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers in Italy on the 27th.
Minister Cho expressed regret that the promises made by Japan when Sado Mine was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July were not properly fulfilled. He emphasized that the issue is not about negotiation but about whether Japan has upheld its promise to South Korea and the international community.
He added that Korea believes Japan has not properly fulfilled its commitments and that Korea will continue to raise this issue at the World Heritage Committee, urging Japan for sincere fulfillment.
During the G7 meeting, Minister Cho clarified to Japanese Foreign Minister Yasuaki Iwaya why South Korea decided not to participate in the memorial service, explaining the background and reasons for the decision. Minister Cho mentioned that Minister Iwaya naturally expressed regret.
Additionally, although it was later determined to be a false report that a representative of the Japanese government visited the Yasukuni Shrine, Minister Cho conveyed to Minister Iwaya that this report had some influence on the decision not to attend the memorial service, but it was not the decisive factor.
Japan designated the Sado Mine, a site of forced labor for Koreans during Japanese colonial rule, as a UNESCO World Heritage in July. At the time, Japan promised to take meaningful subsequent actions, but the recently held memorial service on the 24th did not include content related to Korean forced labor. This led the South Korean government to decide not to attend the service a day before it took place.