Promise of Gunham Island Not Fulfilled for 9 Years
Although Introduction and Memorial Ceremony for Chosun Laborers at Sado Mine in Japan Obtained
Rapid Increase by Japan in Institutionalizing ‘Forced Labor’ and ‘Apology’,
A model installed inside the Nippon Ginzan in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, which was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on the 28th. The inside of the Nippon Ginzan is divided into ‘Soda-yuko’ with traces of the Edo period and ‘Do-yuko’, a modern heritage. The photo shows the appearance of Soda-yuko. Yonhap News,
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, “The designation of Japan’s Sado Mine as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage was crucially decided based on the Korean government’s ‘trust.’ It is said that the Korean side agreed to the proposal from Japan to promptly implement actions rather than ‘words that cannot be trusted’ based on the historical fact of ‘forced labor of Koreans during the Japanese colonial period.'”,
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, ‘However, domestic views are not so favorable. This is due to the memory of Japan tossing aside the promise to inform about the forced labor of Koreans when the World Cultural Heritage designation of Hashima Island was made in 2015. There are concerns and criticisms about whether there are measures in place to prevent the distortion of historical facts once again. ‘,
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Government Opted for Cooperation Instead of Suspending Evaluation…Why?
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Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul speaks at a press conference held at the Vientiane Eun-Ho Hotel in Laos on the 27th local time after concluding his schedule related to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Vientiane=News1,
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, ‘Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul explained on the 27th (local time), when the designation of the Sado Mine was decided, at a hotel in Vientiane, Laos, that he made efforts for issue resolution through mutual agreement with Japan rather than confrontation. Japan promised △an exhibition related to forced mobilization at the Aikawa Museum △installation of guide signs at the dormitories and communal cooking facilities of Korean laborers △holding of memorial ceremonies for Japanese and Korean laborers as preemptive measures to publicize the ‘complete history’ of Sado Mine, and Korea agreed to the designation based on this. ‘,
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, ‘Furthermore, the government added that its goal was “to face history and ensure that the entire history is accurately reflected.” There is also an intention from Japan to register places related to forced mobilization of Koreans as world heritage in order to publicize the historical aggressions more. ‘,
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Doubts about Continuity…Foreign Ministry “Documenting Japan’s Promises and Continuing to Monitor”
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, “However, contrary to the thoughts of the Foreign Ministry, concerns about ‘deception by Japan’ are still significant. It is not clear whether exhibitions and information related to forced mobilization are being continually held at the Aikawa Museum. This is because there was no agreement on ‘permanent exhibitionization’. “,
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, ‘In addition, since the recommendations of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) are not mandatory, there is no way to enforce them if they are not followed. Foreign Minister Jo emphasized, “I hope Japan will show efforts to communicate with the government and fulfill their promises.” However, this is evaluated as nothing more than ‘trusting the Japanese government’. This is the reason for the criticism and concerns that the term “diplomatic disaster” arises from. ‘,
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, ‘Regarding this, a high-ranking official from the Foreign Ministry explained, “That is why we asked Japan to specifically state what measures they will take.” It is to anticipate the effect that ‘if they do not abide by it, Japan will face reputation issues and endure a lot of criticism globally’. Additionally, it was emphasized that “Sado Mine will continue to be urged for compliance and Gunham Island will likewise pursue actions accordingly.” ‘,
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Japan Becoming Reserved in Directly Mentioning ‘Forced Labor’… “Cannot Deny Documents”
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, ‘Above all, Japan continues to avoid directly mentioning “forced labor” acknowledged before the international community in 2015 and is continuing to deny history. Even at the exhibition facility it promised as a “preemptive measure,” expressions have been sanitized, such as recruitment, introduction, and provision based on the National Mobilization Law and harsh conditions. Although the Foreign Ministry’s position is that it is baseless, it has become difficult to avoid the criticism of ‘hollowing out the truth.’ After the April 2021 cabinet meeting, the term “forced labor” and other expressions including “forced” have disappeared from all Japanese textbooks.’,
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, ‘The government is paying attention to the remarks of Kanoh Takehiro, the UNESCO Ambassador of Japan, who spoke the day before at the WHC meeting in New Delhi. He stated, “Japan has already installed new exhibit items at the Sado Mine site to honor the ‘harsh labor environment’ and ‘suffering of the Korean workers'” and said that the government will keep in mind all decisions adopted by the World Heritage Committee and Japan’s promises regarding them. The remarks are included as a footnote in the WHC decision text and considered part of the decision text, with the government maintaining that including this in the WHC document can limit Japan’s level of historical distortion and divergence with the ‘lock-in effect’.’,
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, ‘Vientiane, Laos = Reporter Mun Jae-yeon ‘,
, ‘munjae@hankookilbo.com ‘,
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