The UNESCO World Heritage Committee agreed on July 27 to designate Japan's controversial Sado gold mine as a cultural heritage site

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The UNESCO World Heritage Committee agreed on July 27 to designate Japan's controversial Sado gold mine as a cultural heritage site. The government decided to put it in an exhibit commemorating its sad history of torturing Korean laborers during World War II. The move marks an improvement in relations between Tokyo and Seoul.

About Sado Gold Mines

The mine on an island off the coast of Niigata in northern Japan was open for over 400 years and was once the world's greatest gold producer before shutting in 1989. It was also tied to Japan's wartime mistreatment of Korean workers.

Support For Listing At June 27th Annual Meeting

At the annual meeting in New Delhi, India on June 27th, committee members, including South Korea, unanimously supported the listing. They stated that Japan supplied additional information, made all required changes to the design, and spoke with South Korea on the mine's military history.

Installation Of New Show Materials

The Japanese delegate informed the audience that Japan has put new exhibition material "to explain the severe conditions of (Korean laborers') work and remember their hardship." Japan stated that Koreans were assigned more risky work in the mine shaft, which resulted in several deaths. Many of them were also given low food rations and almost no time off.

Memorial Service For All Workers

Japanese officials announced that an annual memorial service for all Sado Island gold mine workers will be conducted at the site. Japan's Foreign Minister, Yoko Kamikawa, said in a statement that she was "truly delighted" with Sado island's classification, emphasizing its "extraordinary value as an exceptional cultural heritage." But the minister avoided discussing the mine's past.

Both Bright And Dark Sides Of Sado Mine

The South Korean delegate stated that government expects Japan to uphold its promise to be transparent about history and to reveal "both the bright and dark side" of the Sado mine in order to enhance ties in the long run. In Seoul, South Korea's foreign ministry urged Japan to keep its pledges on the mine and take more actions to maintain the momentum in mending bilateral relations.

Commitment To Confront Wartime Crimes

Japan needed to demonstrate a willingness to confront its wartime atrocities in order to secure support from South Korea, which had rejected the UNESCO candidacy due to wartime abuses of Korean laborers. Conflicts over history have continuously affected mutual relations. Seoul has stated that certain Koreans sent to Japan during its 1910-1945 oppression of the Korean Peninsula were compelled to work at the mine.

A Controversial Japanese site

A contentious Japanese site was given UNESCO protection in 2015. Gunkanjima, also known as Battleship Island, was a former coal mine site in Nagasaki prefecture that was renowned for its significance during Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution. South Korea complained that the site lacked mention of Korean laborers on the island, prompting a UNESCO judgment directing Japan to present a more balanced history.

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