Korean gov't expresses regret over Japan's handling of Sado mines memorial consultations

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Korean gov't expresses regret over Japan's handling of Sado mines memorial consultations

Published: 26 Nov. 2024, 16:23 Updated: 26 Nov. 2024, 16:56

LIM JEONG-WON
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong speaks during a regular press briefing at the ministry in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

The Korean government expressed regret on Monday over the way Japan handled consultations for a memorial service for Korean victims of wartime forced labor at the Sado mines, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

In a press statement Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry said an official had relayed the government's displeasure to the Japanese embassy in Korea the previous day.

"The Foreign Ministry official requested that the two countries communicate closely so that this issue does not escalate into an unnecessary conflict and can be managed as an individual matter," the statement added.

In contrast, the Japanese government on Tuesday emphasized the importance of cooperation with Korea despite the recent conflict surrounding the memorial service.

The Sado mines, where Koreans worked as forced laborers during the Japanese colonial period (1910-45), were designated a Unesco World Heritage site in July this year. The memorial service, held on Sado Island on Sunday, was meant as a follow-up measure Japan promised through an agreement with Korea.

However, Korea decided to boycott the event and hold its own memorial service after Japan chose to send Akiko Ikuina, parliamentary vice minister of Japan's Foreign Ministry, who was reported to have visited the Yasukuni Shrine honoring war criminals from World War II, as its government representative.

Korea’s separate memorial service was held at a former dormitory for Korean forced laborers near the Sado gold mines on Monday.

Japanese news agency Kyodo News, which initially ran the report that Ikuina had visited the Yasukuni Shrine in 2022, retracted the report on Monday.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi addressed Korea’s boycott of the memorial service and the reports about Ikuina at a press conference Tuesday morning in Tokyo.

“We are not in a position to comment on Korea’s reasons for not attending the service,” said Hayashi. “We considered various circumstances regarding the matter.

“In the current strategic environment, close cooperation between Korea and Japan is important for the interests of both sides,” Hayashi added. “There are difficult issues between Korea and Japan, but we plan to continue close communication.

Hayashi also said the Japanese government plans to formally request an explanation of the facts and circumstances regarding Kyodo News' retracted report on the Yasukuni Shrine visit.

“We recognize that the report was not based on facts and caused confusion ahead of the memorial service, which is very regrettable,” said Hayashi.

However, Korea's Foreign Ministry said after Kyodo News’ retraction that “the decision to not attend was made after considering all circumstances,” saying that the decision had been made regardless of whether Ikuina had visited the Yasukuni Shrine because, in Seoul's eyes, Japan had not shown sincerity in the overall consultation process.

“The fact that the content of the memorial speech and other matters related to the memorial service did not reach a satisfactory level of agreement was an important consideration,” the Foreign Ministry added on Monday. “Our government’s non-attendance at the Japanese memorial service and holding our own memorial event was an expression of our firm will not to compromise with Japan on history.”

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong reiterated these remarks during a regular press briefing on Tuesday.

Regarding criticism that the government has consistently failed to respond to Japan regarding its insincere memorial service, Second Vice Foreign Minister Kang In-sun told reporters on Tuesday that Korea’s non-attendance at the memorial service itself was a strong protest and expression of regret.

"The final memorial service plan presented by Japan to us did not meet the level of the agreement between Korea and Japan at the time of the Sado mines' listing as a Unesco site," said Kang.

Before the memorial service, Korea's Foreign Ministry said that reaching an agreement with Japan on the event would prove difficult as there was not enough time to coordinate differences between the two governments.

Update, Nov. 26: Korea's Foreign Ministry statement of regret added.
Update, Nov. 26: Comments by Second Vice Minister Kang In-sun added.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]