**”Yasukuni Shrine Visit’ Japan’s Representative Notified of Attendance Government Decides to Not Participate a Day Before Event Broken Sound in Korea-Japan Relations on the Eve of 60th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations”**
The memorial ceremony for Korean workers who were forcibly mobilized for labor during the Japanese occupation at the Sado Mine was held as a ‘half-event’ on the 24th, as the Korean government and bereaved families were absent. Due to the controversy over the Japanese representative’s history of visiting the Yasukuni Shrine, the Korean government abruptly decided against participation the day before the event. Despite the government’s efforts, including concessions for the UNESCO World Heritage listing of the Sado Mine, Japan not meeting expectations could lead to frozen relations between the two countries.
On the 24th, at the Aikawa Development Center in Sado City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, the seat for the Korean government representatives and bereaved families was left empty during the ‘Sado Mine Memorial Ceremony,’ attended by Ikushima Akiko, a senior official in the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Meanwhile, the Korean government decided not to participate in the ceremony organized by Japan, and the families of forced labor victims at Sado Mine announced that they would hold a separate memorial event.
The execution committee for the Sado Mine Memorial Ceremony held the event at the Aikawa Development Center on the west side of Sado Island. The Korean government found Japan’s sincerity lacking and decided not to attend the day before the event. The bereaved families, originally scheduled to attend the ceremony, plan to hold a separate memorial on the morning of the 25th at the site of a Korean dormitory near Sado Mine, with Korea’s ambassador to Japan, Park Chul-hee, and other government officials in attendance.
The decisive factor in the Korean government’s absence was Japan’s last-minute notification, just two days before the ceremony, that Akiko Ikushima, with a history of visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, would represent the Japanese government. Many criticized this as mocking a memorial meant to console victims of forced labor. There were also added frictions from the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs bearing the travel costs of the invited Korean bereaved families and the omission of the memorial’s intended recipients from its official title.
Japan did not agree to Korea’s request to mention ‘forced conscription’ in the memorial address. In her speech, Ikushima stated, “Laborers from the Korean Peninsula worked hard in a dangerous and harsh environment, thinking of their loved ones far from home during the unique social context of wartime.” However, her remarks expressing deep condolences omitted any mention of forced labor, reflection, or memorialization.
This memorial ceremony was an event Japan promised to hold annually as a condition for Korea’s approval when the Sado Mine was listed as a World Heritage Site in July this year. Despite these intentions, ruptures are reemerging in Korea-Japan relations as the first event ended in discord. The Korean government’s plans to conduct ceremonies for next year’s 60th anniversary of Korea-Japan diplomatic ties are facing inevitable disruptions. There are also apprehensions that Korea-Japan cooperation could falter before the launch of Trump’s second administration in the United States. Additionally, there is bound to be intensified criticism directed at the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, which emphasizes proactive diplomacy toward Japan.
The diplomatic authorities in both countries are wary of the issue prolonging. Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul remarked the day before, “Both countries should make efforts to prevent a single issue from disrupting bilateral relations.” Meanwhile, the right-wing Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun reported that there are voices within the Japanese government hoping for the issue to calm down quickly.