Korea holds separate Sado mines memorial service, boycotting Japan's

Home > National > Diplomacy

Korea holds separate Sado mines memorial service, boycotting Japan's

Published: 25 Nov. 2024, 18:08 Updated: 25 Nov. 2024, 18:10

SEO JI-EUN
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

The bereaved family members of Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor at the Sado mine complex during World War II, along with other South Korean participants, pay silent tribute on Monday at a site that once served as lodging for Korean forced laborers near the Sado gold and silver mines on Sado Island, off Japan's west coast. Seoul officials, including Korean Ambassador to Japan Park Cheol-hee, and the family members held a separate memorial ceremony to honor the victims after boycotting a Japan-hosted event due to Tokyo's apparent insincerity in fulfilling its pledge to remember the victims. [YONHAP]

The bereaved Korean family members of wartime labor victims who worked at the now-defunct gold mines on Sado Island, as well as Korean officials, gathered for a separate memorial service in Japan on Monday after boycotting Japan's official ceremony the day before.

The decision to hold an independent service came in response to Japan’s perceived insincerity regarding its promise to acknowledge the “full history” of the site, including an agreement to hold annual memorial services. The severed commemorations exposed potential renewed diplomatic strain between the two nations under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.

About 30 participants attended Monday’s Korean-led memorial, including nine bereaved family members, Korean Ambassador to Japan Park Cheol-hee and embassy officials. The ceremony included a memorial address, a moment of silence and floral tributes, lasting approximately 10 minutes.

South Korean Ambassador to Japan Park Cheol-hee delivers a memorial address during a ceremony honoring Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor at the Sado mine complex during World War II on Monday, at a site that once served as lodging for Korean forced laborers on Sado Island, off Japan's west coast. [YONHAP]

“I bow my head in memory of the Korean laborers forcibly mobilized to the Sado mines 80 years ago, worn down by harsh labor, who lost their lives,” Park said in his address paying tribute to the victims held near the site of Dormitory No. 4, a former housing facility for Korean laborers on Japan’s Sado Island. “Today must become a true day of remembrance for all the Korean workers who suffered in such cruel conditions.

“For ... the Korean laborers who passed away without being held in the arms of their loving family and those who suffered lifelong health consequences, no words can fully offer solace,” he continued. “We will never forget the tears and sacrifices of the Korean workers behind the history of the Sado mines.”

Japanese officials such as Akiko Ikuina, a parliamentary vice minister of Japan’s Foreign Ministry, and Niigata Prefecture Governor Hideyo Hanazumi had attended Japan's memorial ceremony on Sunday, but the absence of the Korean delegation left nearly half its 100 seats empty.

Ikuina’s participation, in particular, drew criticism; the vice minister reportedly attended services at the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors World War II Class A war criminals. Korea had initially agreed to attend but abruptly reversed its decision on Saturday, citing “unresolved disagreements” with Japan regarding the ceremony’s content and participants.

The Korean Foreign Ministry criticized Japan’s ceremony as lacking sincerity. While Ikuina acknowledged the difficult conditions faced by Korean laborers, her remarks did not include terms related to forced labor, nor did they express regret or offer an apology. Ikuina's address was labeled a “greeting” rather than a formal memorial address.

“The decision to hold our own independent memorial service reflects our government’s firm resolve not to compromise with Japan on historical issues,” Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement following the Japanese event on Sunday evening.

Akiko Ikuina, parliamentary vice minister of Japan’s Foreign Ministry, delivers remarks during the Sado Mines Memorial Ceremony at the Aikawa Development Center in Sado City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, on Sunday. Seats reserved for South Korean officials and bereaved families remain empty. [NEWS1]

Japan expressed regret over South Korea’s boycott.

“While it is not our place to explain South Korea’s decision, it is regrettable that they chose not to attend,” Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said during a news conference on Monday.

The dispute over the memorial ceremonies marks a setback in bilateral relations, which have shown some signs of thawing under the Yoon administration.

The controversy over the Sado Mines echoes broader criticisms that Japan has failed to uphold similar commitments in the past. In 2015, during the registration of Hashima Island, or the Battleship Island, Japan pledged to commemorate forced labor victims but later established a memorial center in Tokyo, more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) from the site, which included exhibits denying forced labor. This led Unesco to adopt a rare resolution in 2021 expressing “strong regret” over Japan’s distortion of history.

Experts have urged both nations to find a balanced approach to historical issues while fostering future-oriented relations. Some have criticized the Yoon administration for prioritizing improved ties over addressing historical grievances.

“Japan remains trapped in the 'Abe Statement,' which avoids further apologies over its historical issues from postwar generations, perpetuating political tensions that negatively impact bilateral relations,” said Cho Jin-goo, director of the Japan Center at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, referring to the former prime minister's 2015 war anniversary speech during which he stated that future generations should not be obligated to apologize for wartime actions. “If historical disputes persist, next year’s 60th anniversary of diplomatic normalization may not proceed as positively as South Korea hopes.”

Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women’s University and a vocal advocate for historical justice, announced plans to file a formal complaint with Unesco over Japan’s omission of a forced labor acknowledgment at its Sado mines memorial.

BY SEO JI-EUN, PARK HYUN-JU [[email protected]]