Korea, Japan foreign envoys discuss Sado mine, historical issues

Diplomacy

Published: 14 Feb. 2022, 18:08

Korea, Japan foreign envoys discuss Sado mine, historical issues

Korea's Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, left, and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi pose before their meeting, their first in person, at Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Satruday. [FOREIGN MINISTRY OF KOREA]

The Sado mine in Japan, where Koreans were forced to work during World War II, and other subjects of historical dispute between Korea and Japan took center stage at the meeting between their foreign ministers in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Saturday.

“Minister Chung Eui-yong reiterated Korea’s protest and deep regret over Japan's decision to recommend the Sado mine to be listed as a Unesco World Heritage site,” reads a statement released by Korea's Foreign Ministry, following the meeting between Chung and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi.

Saturday was the first time for the two to hold one-on-one official summit talks, having only briefly encountered each other at the Group of Seven foreign ministerial meeting in Britain last December. The two had talked over the phone on Feb. 3.

The Sado mine has been at the center of several ongoing disputes regarding historical events between Korea and Japan. Despite Korea repeatedly protesting Japan's trying to enlist at Unesco a site where over 1,000 Koreans were forced to work during World War II, Japan officially declared its intention to go through with its plan last month.

“[Chung] urged Japan to faithfully implement the follow-up measures promised with the registration of the sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution at Unesco in 2015,” the ministry added.

In registering the sites in 2015, which include Hashima Island where around 800 Koreans were forced to work during the Pacific War, Japan pledged to provide means to ensure visitors are informed of the full history of the sites, including the history concerning Korean forced laborers. Unesco pointed out last July, however, that Japan has not kept its pledge.

In the 40-minute talk, Chung also brought up the Japanese export restrictions on Korea, in place since July 2019, that have impacted Korea’s semiconductor industries.

“Minister Chung also emphasized that Japan's export restrictions against Korea should be withdrawn as soon as possible,” the ministry said. “In particular, Minister Chung pointed out that Japan's measures aimed at Korea's specific industries do not logically fit with the current agreements between Korea, the United States and Japan aimed at strengthening global supply chain stability.”

Although Japan has denied direct links between the two, these restrictions were largely seen from Korea as Japan’s retaliation for a set of court rulings on the forced labor issue.

The Korean Supreme Court made a landmark ruling on Oct. 30, 2018, ordering Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, renamed Nippon Steel last year, to pay 100 million won ($82,000) each to Korean victims of Japanese forced labor during World War II. It made a similar ruling on Nov. 29, 2018, against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The top court acknowledged the illegality of Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule and recognized that the individual’s right to compensation has not expired.

The Japanese companies have refused to comply, and plaintiffs began the legal process to seize their assets in Korea. Tokyo maintains that all compensation issues related to colonial rule were resolved through a 1965 treaty normalizing bilateral relations.

The bilateral ties between Japan and Korea have been at a historic low over such issues, and the number of high-level meetings between Japan and Korea have also markedly been reduced over the years.

Hayashi's predecessor, Toshimitsu Motegi, met only once with Chung.

Hayashi, during the talk on Saturday, relayed that Korea’s objection to Japan’s recommendation of the Sado mine was unacceptable, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. He added, however, that Japan is open to talks with Korea on the matter.

He also told Chung that Korea should take appropriate measures to help the two countries move beyond the deadlocked issues of the past, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]